Hi, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. My favorite places on campus include Sanborn (for writing), the river (for paddling), and the Green (for everything else). I'm excited to share a bit about 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.
For the third term in my Dartmouth career, I've found myself in Italy. I've written many times about my previous two experiences with the Italian Department—check out my blog posts on the Full Immersion Rome Experience (FIRE) programand the LSA+ in Rome. This time, I'm in Italy for an internship!
The 24X FIRE cohort!
I'm spending the fall in Ivrea, a small town in northern Italy best known as the home of Olivetti, the typewriter and personal technology company. Through the Italian Departmentand the Olivetti Leadership Institute, and with funding from the Dickey Center, I've been given the opportunity to spend 8 weeks immersing myself in Olivetti's legacy.
Most of my days are spent translating—I'm working on an English edition of a book about Ivrea and Olivetti, a company that imagined their factories not just as places of production but spaces where communities could thrive. Translating is slow work, but it's very rewarding.
Alongside my work on the book, I've been reading about Olivetti's role in Italian history and touring the industrial buildings that make up Ivrea's UNESCO World Heritage site. I'm even living in one of the buildings built by the Olivetti company!
Ivrea is known for its unique architectural style, and La Serra is no exception!
Beyond my internship, living in Ivrea has been an adventure within itself. The pace of life here is definitely different from what I experienced in Rome, although both places share beautiful cobblestone streets and lots of wonderful restaurants! Ivrea is quieter and calmer, which has eased the transition to living by myself abroad.
On the weekends, I've been exploring more of the surrounding Piedmont region. I recently made a day trip to Turin, visiting the Musei Reali and hiking up to the hilltop church of Chiesa di Santa Maria al Monte dei Cappuccini for a view of the city. I'm trying to find the balance between the stillness of Ivrea and the liveliness of Turin, which has been an exciting challenge.
The iconic Mole Antonelliana
I'll admit: I wasn't initially excited about taking an off-term. A glance at my D-plan up to this point might have hinted at my desire to avoid one altogether. But so far, I'm enjoying the break from Hanover. There's a lot less structure and more independence than I'm used to at Dartmouth, which can be daunting at times. At the same time, there's something unique about focusing so deeply on a single project, while also immersing myself in a new culture and working on my language skills.
Stay tuned for more updates from Ivrea! I'll be sharing more about my time here as the term goes on, including info about my Dickey Center funding and how my study abroad experiences prepared me for this internship.
Before my internship in Italy, I spent two terms studying in Rome. How did those experiences help prepare me for my current position? Well, let me explain!
As I begin my junior year, I feel my time at Dartmouth shifting from exploration to deeper focus, with my studies, experiences, and passions beginning to take clear shape.
Instead of spending sophomore summer on campus, I pursued an internship in Hong Kong, where Dartmouth's alumni network and fellow students helped me to I find community, friendship, and adventure that made my summer just as memorable.
Senior Fall brings an eventful and diverse courseload, taking up almost all of my time! Find out what I am involved with this term and the incredible variety of classes that Dartmouth has to offer!
New Hampshire is such a glorious state with so much to offer in the fall! Come with me as I explore Plainfield, NH, and go apple picking at Riverview Farms.
