Hi there! My name is Kiara Ortiz, a '24 from New York! I'm interested in studying Neuroscience along with Public Policy on the pre-health track. In my free time, I like to read sci-fi, play board games, and brag about my (supposedly) awful science puns. If you don't find me lost on the Green, I'm probably playing Werewolf or Trivia on Zoom with other '24s. Stay tuned to learn about the Dartmouth community I fell in love with and more about our virtual reality!
Academic Program
Intended major: Neuroscience; Intended minor: Public Policy
Would you, Could you, in the Snow? The Snowball Fight Lives on!
Here I was, casually sitting on a Tuesday afternoon right after my Bio 13 midterm. A wave of relief washed over me, and I was honestly ready to nap for the rest of the afternoon. Before I could indulge myself in a few extra hours of sleep, I received an email with the subject line reading: "Would you, could you, in the snow?" Intrigued and excited, I opened the rest of the email, and it read:
"Snow! There's snow! There's lots of snow!
Lots and lots of snow to throw!
You can throw it if you're cold,
You can throw it if you're old,
You can throw it if you're young
You can throw it with your tongue!
You can throw it on The Green,
You can throw it at your dean!
If in the BEMA you get lost,
Throw your snow at Robert Frost!"
That's right, we were invited to a campus-wide snowball fight! It is a Dartmouth tradition to host a snowball fight at midnight during the first significant snowfall. I had an inkling that this moment was near, especially after I had walked through snow that was up to my knees while trying to get to our dining hall. My excitement got the best of me, and I eagerly waited for the clock to strike 12.
I put on extra layers of socks, tied my snow boots, wore my extra warm gloves, and waited by the entrance of the Green for the event to begin. I, an eager '24, had been awaiting this moment since the beginning of winter term. I, an eager '24, was ready to throw snow rapidly at random individuals. I, an eager '24, forgot that I was 5'2 and when it hit 12 o'clock, was pummeled with snow thanks to my friends.
All I could see around me were flying balls of snow, students trapped in the snow, and foggy glasses. I heard screams, laughs, and hilarious, friendly trash talking. This was a beautiful moment where I felt a true connection with the Dartmouth community. It's traditions like these that make me feel lucky that I chose the right campus to be on. Yes, we had work and classes the next day. But, for one night, the students forgot about their stress and had some fun in the snow. What's better than that?
Despite work to do the next day, everyone enjoyed a moment to play in the snow!
Growing up in New England and transitioning to living at Dartmouth, I'm all too familiar with the unpredictability (and beauty) of New England's weather. Let me tell you about it here!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
