Hi, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. I'm excited to be back to taking classes after two "off terms" in a row! Outside of academics, I'm involved in Ledyard Canoe Club, the Dartmouth Organization of Rural Students, and Dartmouth Sports Analytics Club. I'm excited to share stories from my favorite place with all of you!
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 my major, was super interesting! I loved learning about archaeology through hands-on projects and lectures that felt like TED Talks.
My favorite course on my Italian LSA+ in Rome is focused on Italian literature, which we are studying in a reverse-chronological order! It has been incredibly fun to see different topics and styles evolve over time and to learn from the works of the best writers.
I’m absolutely loving this hands-on introduction to paleography, and the fact that my class meets at Rauner every day! I can’t wait to hear from our guest lecturers, too, and I’ll be sure to share those experiences on the blog. All in all, Latin 10 was a great way to get back into the language after a term away in Rome.
I signed up for this Latin class after the FDOC (first day of class), and I'm so glad I added it to my sophomore summer schedule! Our class is combined with GRK 30.08 History and Structure of the Greek Language, and it has been incredibly interesting to compare the ancient languages and learn a bit of Greek.
FallIvrea, Italy
This term, I'm interning with the Olivetti Leadership Institute in Ivrea, a small town in northern Italy.
WinterHanover, NH
For my second off-term, I'm back on campus! I'm keeping myself busy by working, spending time with friends, and working on my to-be-read list.
I signed up for this course to complete my final distributive requirement for graduation, and it has turned out to be one of my most rewarding classes! It’s been fascinating to explore a region of the world I hadn’t formally studied before. As a bonus, the lectures are incredibly engaging and I always leave class feeling like my perspective has been broadened.
On my blog, I write about many different corners of campus. I've always liked being busy, and during my time at Dartmouth, I've kept that up—bouncing between clubs, classes for my two majors, and whatever else catches my eye. But if someone forced me to pick just one extracurricular activity, I know what it would be without hesitation:Ledyard Canoe Club.
I tried to paddle at least once a week last spring and this summer!
I still remember the first time I wandered down to the clubhouse. It was the early fall of my first year, and I was showing up to everything, saying yes to anything, trying on identities like jackets. I'd paddled a bit growing up, but nothing serious. At my first Council—the weekly Ledyard meeting—I was overwhelmed by a structure that made no sense to me.We were asked to introduce ourselves and answer a ridiculous question before upperclassmen jumped into a structured conversation of trip reports, outgoing trips, and general news.
People tossed around jargon and inside jokes, referencing rivers I'd never heard of and showing pictures of students holding Ledyard flags after adventures across the world. I sat near the back, wondering if I'd accidentally wandered into something I wasn't quite ready for. I'm so glad I decided to go back the next week, and the week after that.
I can't imagine Dartmouth without Ledyard. I love paddling on the Connecticut, yes—the way the water catches the light in the late afternoon, the quiet that takes over once you round the first bend, the way passing under the bridge on the way back to the Clubhouse feels like coming home. But really, more than that, I love the community. I love walking into the 1902 Room in Baker Libraryand seeing a long wooden table full of some of my closest friends working—and a few decidedly not working, gathered around a laptop watching whitewater kayaking videos or planning a break trip. I love popping down to the clubhouse after a long day and taking a nap on one of the worn couches that dip in the middle and smell faintly of river water and sunscreen. I love it when Council migrates to the basement of Robinson Hall for the winter months, and we all lament being stuck indoors, daydreaming about getting back out on the water.
I traveled north for the solar eclipse in April 2024 with Ledyard, and was able to watch the phenomenon from a canoe
Council is always a great place to unwind and have a little bit of fun!
This past summer, I worked at the Ledyard Rental Desk, and it became one of my favorite things I've done at Dartmouth. There's something so sweet about handing a family a couple of life jackets and watching them push off for an afternoon on the water. Or helping a nervous first-timer adjust their grip on a paddle, assuring them that tipping is unlikely. After each of my shifts, I made a point to enjoy the river myself—either dipping in at the swim dock or taking out a canoe with friends, letting the current carry us downstream while the sun dropped behind the tree line and the water went glassy and gold.
I'm not the most adventurous paddler—I'll leave the rapids to the people in those YouTube videos—but I know that I can always count on Monday night Council to start my week off on the right foot. Some of my closest friendships have formed at the clubhouse or out on the Connecticut, and for that, I will forever be grateful.
I love taking out a big boat full of my friends once the weather warms up!
I feel so fortunate to have access to this community and a river right here in Hanover. I'm still not sure where I'll end up after college, but more likely than not, I won't have a body of water and canoes for rent nearby. So for junior spring and senior year, I'm hoping to spend as much time paddling as I possibly can—I hope to see you out there, too
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Sarah Getraer '26, a studio art major, showed me around her dorm room, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
Senior spring is here and it is surreal to reflect on how much my daily routine has evolved. We have just welcomed the Class of 2030, and I am so incredibly excited for the next generation of Dartmouth students to find their home in Hanover!
