Hi, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. Outside of academics, I'm a member of the Ledyard Canoe Club, the Dartmouth Organization of Rural Students, and Dartmouth Sports Analytics. I can't wait to share stories from my final year at Dartmouth 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.
SummerMunger, Michigan
This summer, I'm spending time at home working on post-graduate applications and hanging out with my family. I'm also working remotely for the Hood Museum and spending a lot of time traveling to visit Dartmouth friends across the country!
I've spent this summer practicing something I'm not the best at and have mostly avoided during my time at Dartmouth: slowing down. Instead of the classic internship or summer classes, I went home to Michigan this term to spend time with family. However, I've still kept myself busy by working remotely and traveling near and far!
The summer kicked off with working for Dartmouth Reunions, which kept me on campus until mid-June. After that, I spent a week at home relaxing and unpacking before heading to Washington, D.C. for the Fourth of July. There, I visited friends from Dartmouth and celebrated America 250 during one of the worst heatwaves I've ever experienced—but it was worth it! It was fun to be a tourist with my friends who are interning in D.C. this summer, and help them see their new city from a different point of view.
We cooled down by hanging out by the river, where we saw some great views.
It's always fun to explore new neighborhoods with friends!
Once I got back to Michigan, I started planning trips a little closer to home. I drove down to Ohio to visit another Dartmouth friend for a few days, and we enjoyed swimming and a trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park. I also spent time in northern Michigan with my family, camping and hiking around the state. I had almost forgotten how beautiful it is here, and I'm glad I was able to rediscover some of the things that made growing up here so great.
I mean, come on! It doesn't get much better than this.
I even found some new favorite spots this summer, like Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor.
I spent a good chunk of the summer working on post-grad plans: fellowship essays, grad school applications, a brief dip into the world of job hunting. More on all of that in an upcoming post, so I won't spoil too much here. I also worked on my senior thesis and did remote work for the Hood Museum, alongside writing for this blog.
On top of all of that, I've been prioritizing rest. Just being home, reading and writing (not for class!), seeing friends and family, and spending time outside has been great. This summer, I tried to let myself enjoy the slow, peaceful moments instead of treating them like dead time before senior year.
I also loved spending time with my dog, Cash, this summer!
I have a lot on my plate once I get back to campus. So a summer that let me see the people I love, learn something new about places I already knew, and get a head start on some of the big stuff was exactly what I needed. Let this be your reminder that not every off-term needs a big plan or overarching goal: sometimes, you just need to slow down.
With all the amazing dining options Dartmouth has to offer, rest assured you will not go hungry on this campus! In this blog post, I will be discussing one of my favorite dining locations, Collis Café, with you.
I'm so happy I chose Dartmouth, as it offers unparalleled access to the beautiful outdoors. Click on this blog post to read a poem I wrote in appreciation of nature and Dartmouth!
