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.
This summer, I'll be taking another term of classes—but I won't be in Hanover. Along with 17 other students, a Dartmouth professor, and a director's assistant, I'll be traveling to Rome! During the 10-week summer term, my cohort will be taking Italian 1 and Italian 2, along with a class centered on Italian culture (Italian 4). This study abroad program is called FIRE, which stands for Full Immersion Rome Experience. For the duration of our time in Rome, we will be staying in apartments in the neighborhood of Trastevere and living like the Romans do (to the best of our abilities).
I first heard about this program while browsing the Guarini Institute website for information about another study abroad program I will be participating in: the Classics FSP in Greece. I won't get too much into the different types of study abroad programs in this blog post, but here's a great source of information to learn more: O Term Guide. I applied to FIRE in the winter and heard back about my acceptance before the decision date of March 1st. As part of my application, I had to fill out a few forms, write answers for essay questions, and have an interview with the professor leading the program. The process was seamless, and the Guarini Institute was there to answer any questions I had along the way!
As a Classics major, the most exciting aspect of the trip is the opportunity to explore the multitude of museums and archeological sites in Rome. Being able to see the places I have learned about in my classes in person will be incredible! Some of the top items on my bucket list are throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain and wandering around the Galleria Borghese.
Another part of the trip that I'm looking forward to is fully immersing myself in learning Italian. I have never learned a language in this way before, so it will be a completely new experience. I hope that by committing myself to studying Italian, I will be able to pick up the language fairly quickly! Over the summer, I also plan to keep up my study of Latin. It will be a remarkable experience to read poetry about the city that I'm living in and know that the ancient poets visited the very same places that I will go.
There's so much to look forward to—a significant aspect of the trip is that the students have to cook their own meals, which is a bit daunting for someone who currently eats on an unlimited college dining plan. Ultimately, I'm thrilled for the chance to cook my own meals, and I hope that by spending time together in the kitchen and around the dining table, I'm able to get to know my fellow students better! As I count down the days until departure, my excitement only grows. I plan to blog about my summer in Rome, and I hope you follow along! I encourage you to check out the Guarini Institute website for yourself—I'm sure you'll find a program that interests you.
When asked about my favorite term at Dartmouth, I'll enthusiastically answer, "Sophomore Summer!" Whether it's the enhanced beauty or community on campus, one aspect stands out as the highlight of my term: the start of summer dance ensembles!
