Hello, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. On campus, I enjoy writing sports for The Dartmouth, going on as many DOC trips as I can, and hanging out with my friends. I also love Woccoming, doing the daily NYT mini crossword, and paddling!
I took this class as part of Dartmouth's first year writing requirement. We read a pro cyclist's life narrative, discussed research papers on controversial topics in sports, and wrote our own papers on a contentious sports technology of our choice. I really enjoyed this course's emphasis on discussion, and the small class size!
This was my first class in the classics department, which was super exciting as a classical studies major! We learned about the ancient Olympics and the connections between athletics and other aspects of ancient Greek society. I loved the final project in this class, which involved creating an argument about how the ancient pentathlon was scored!
To conclude my language requirement, I took Latin 3! This class was super exciting because we began to read ancient texts and poetry. We also took a class trip to the Rauner Special Collections library so we could physically handle and read some manuscripts. And as an added bonus, Latin counts as a prerequisite for my classical studies major!
As a part of my language study abroad in Italy, I also took a class on Italian history and culture! We went on field trips to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, participated in walking tours of Rome, and watched a lot of great cinema in this class! I loved it so much that I decided to minor in Italian.
This class, in addition to being a pre-requisite for both my major and my spring study abroad, was super interesting! I loved learning about archaeology in a chronological sequence, and I feel so much more prepared for my trip to Greece after completing this class.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the term, some of my favorite blog posts to write are these reflections! Here's a look back at what I expected for this term, and how it compared to my actual experiences.
Classes
My plan to major in Classical Studies was reinforced by my classes this term. I took Latin 3 and Classics 10.15 (Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece), which were incredibly interesting. I enjoyed my Classics course because it provided me with a new perspective on ancient Greek history and challenged me to think critically about ancient sources. For my final project in Classics 10.15, I created a poetry collection that reinvented ancient female characters for a modern audience. It was my favorite assignment at Dartmouth so far, and an accomplishment that I am proud of!
Extracurriculars
I accomplished my goal of trying out new clubs this term, and attended the first meetings of a few different organizations! After some reflection, my main extracurricular focus this term was focusing on the activities that I enjoy the most and getting more involved in them. I took a step up at The Dartmouth by becoming an associate editor and joined the Dartmouth Law Journal.
In my 24S preview, I also mentioned playing tennis and pickleball. Although I did not play either of these sports formally, I did hit the courts a few times with my friends! As someone who played tennis in high school, I had a great time getting back into the swing of things; I appreciated that all of the equipment I needed was available to rent for free at the front desk of the Alumni Gym!
Outdoors
I mentioned my goal to get back into the Dartmouth Outing Club this term, and I definitely succeeded on that front! I went on a sunrike (sunrise hike) and countless canoeing trips. I talked about the Ledyard Canoe Club in a few of my blog posts this term, and that's because I have been enjoying the community the club has provided me with! I plan to become a leader (someone who can plan my own trips) in 24F, and I'll be sure to take you along on that journey with me. In the meantime, you can read about my experience paddling during the eclipse or attending Ledyard feeds. In addition to the DOC, I spent lots of time studying and hanging out with my friends outdoors. I went on multiple Woccoms (walks around Occom Pond) each week, tried to eat outside as often as I could, and took a few naps on the Green!
Traditions
Unfortunately, I was feeling a bit under the weather during Green Key weekend. I still made it to the main concert though, and I had a great time watching Shaggy's performance. And just like 24W, I developed a few traditions with my closest friends such as playing Among Us on Monday nights, meeting for daily breakfasts at FoCo (the Class of 1953 Commons, our dining hall), and watching movies while doing homework.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
