I'm Kennedy, a literature nerd and creative writer from the outskirts of Memphis. I'm also a senior here at Dartmouth. When I'm not working in admissions as a senior fellow, I'm a student employee at the library and a research and teaching assistant in the English department. I love music (I collect vinyl!) and analyzing teen drama TV (think Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars). I'm currently applying to law schools. I've had such a great time at Dartmouth and am excited to share that with you!
Professor McCann is my advisor, but that's not the only reason I took this class. Since it was a senior seminar with only 9 students, we got to dive deep into the fascinating material, including with Victorian-era pulp fiction books, advertisements, and psychological treatises, plus some good old fashioned canonical works like The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula. [Fun fact: I've read Dracula three times at Dartmouth... it's an English department favorite!]
WinterHanover, NH
This was an off term for me, but I love Hanover so much I hung around anyways! I worked for admissions and Baker-Berry Library, read a ton of J.G. Ballard, and stared out the window at the snow for an embarrassingly long amount of time. I also visited my parents in Tennessee during Christmas.
Professor Nachlis went out of his way to act as an unofficial pre-law advisor for all of us in this class, not only by introducing us to some of the most pressing issues in American government, but also by dedicating the final two weeks of class to a module called "Should you go to law school?" A question I was asking myself!
SummerHanover, NH
Another off term again, and this time I'm working full-time for admissions as a senior fellow! I'm also doing a lot of preliminary reading for my honors thesis. Anyone heard of Friedrich Kittler's Discourse Networks? Well, I'll have read it twice by the time this term is over.
Con Law with Professor Bedi was one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth. Our in-depth examination of the Constitution and landmark case law built up a "science of the Constitution" (in Prof Bedi's words). Our class of 9 students rarely agreed on anything, which was what made it so fun!
My final paper for this class was an analysis of a civil rights leader's memoir that I actually worked on back during my internship at the University Press of Mississippi! I learned so much in this class, and it was gratifying to return, now with new knowledge, to a text I had a personal relationship with.
The Hood Museum of Art is on the Hanover side of campus, near Alumni Gym and the Visual Arts Center. A teaching museum with opportunities for students to curate, promote, and even contribute their own artwork, the Hood offers a plethora of incredible opportunities for anyone interested in archival work, studio and visual art, or museum work.
One of my favorite pieces in the Hood; it is made of leather
But even if that doesn't describe you, the Hood is a jewel on campus. I mean, how many small towns are there where you can walk to a world-class art museum with such a fantastic permanent collection, regularly rotating exhibits, and events every week?! Where I'm from, the nearest art museum is a thirty minute drive away; I'm sure many can relate. The presence of the Hood only a ten minute walk from my apartment makes me feel very lucky.
I went this weekend and got to see exhibits curated by Dartmouth students and staff: those exhibits included Love as Ceremony: Legacies of Two-Spirit Liberation; Faith and Empire; and Recording War. We have Catholic devotional paintings from South America, handmade German guns, and Goya prints. Our permanent collection also includes several huge ninth-century BCE Assyrian stone reliefs, which I have spent hours staring at. We have artwork from all over the world—you can check out the full collection here—and from a broad scope of media and time periods. Because of Dartmouth's unique Native American and Indigenous Studies program, and because the college recommitted itself to educating Native American students when John Kemeny was president, we also have an unusually expansive Native and Indigenous art collection.
The Assyrian Reliefs
The events the Hood hosts include everything from talks with curators and professors, arts and crafts sessions, lectures from visiting artists, and guided gallery tours. Part of what makes the Hood special is that it brings together campus and the wider community. On any given day in the gallery, you'll see Dartmouth students and faculty mingling with Hanover and Upper Valley locals.
Nor does the Hood's work only take place at the actual Hood Museum. The Orozco Mural Room is considered part of Dartmouth's artistic collection, even though it's painted on the walls of the Baker Library basement. The mural is also one of my favorite things about campus. I used to walk through the Orozco Mural Room every day to work my library shifts, and I found something new to appreciate about the mural each time. I especially love the panels just opposite the circulation desk. [I highly recommend you check out the mural or the Hood—or both—if you ever come to campus.] Much like Rauner Special Collections Library, the Hood sponsors research on objects and artwork in its collection, and professors and students alike take advantage of this unique opportunity.
One of my favorite Hood collection pieces is this dog statue
We're extremely lucky to have such a valuable resource here, both for our academic endeavors and for the community's enjoyment. The Hood is perhaps one of the best examples of the benefits Dartmouth's location brings to Hanover and to its undergraduates.
It's hard to believe that it has been a year since I wrote my first end-of-fall-term reflection. It felt like only yesterday that I stepped into my dorm room this September, eager to reunite with my friends.
Applying early to a university can be overwhelming and confusing. As someone who did not apply to Dartmouth through early decision, here are a couple tips that I could have used when thinking about applying early to a school!
