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.
I recently re-read my very first blog post, and couldn't help but smile. In the past year, I've grown and changed so much. I'm still the same girl—but I have learned so much about myself, Dartmouth, and my space within the community here.
I wrote in my post that I loved "listening to (and making) music, writing, spending time with my friends and family, watching sports, and traveling (especially road trips)." Most of these still hold true—although I would now mention that I love exploring the Upper Valley and that trains are my preferred method of transportation.
I also mentioned that I valued Dartmouth's community and connection to the outdoors. As I've written extensively about before, Dartmouth has given me endless opportunities to connect with the beautiful nature of the Upper Valley and other individuals who love it as much as I do. Ledyard Canoe Club, in particular, has become one of my favorite aspects of Dartmouth.
When I wrote my first blog post, applying to study abroad in Rome for the summer hadn't yet crossed my mind. I'm not sure if I even knew that the FIRE Italian study abroad program existed—and if I did, I probably wouldn't have even let myself consider the possibility of going.
My friends and I in Rome!
At the beginning of college, I had a bad habit of limiting myself from taking advantage of all the opportunities Dartmouth offered. I encourage you to steer away from this—don't reject yourself! By being your authentic self and having the courage to try new things and expand your comfort zone, you will experience so many incredible things at Dartmouth.
I've had so many unique experiences at Dartmouth that I will remember for my entire life. I've been to countless comedy shows and dance performances and watched the eclipse from a canoe. I've watched one of my best friends discover a talent for improv comedy and listened to another hone his musical skills in countless student bands. I've discovered a deep academic interest in Latin and Classics—two topics that weren't even offered at my high school. I've been bird watching in Rye, NH and watched Dartmouth football play Harvard in Cambridge, MA.
As I get ready to start my second year at Dartmouth, I can't wait to see what comes next. I have a rough outline of what I'd like to accomplish during my second year in Hanover—but currently I'm only planning to spend the 24F and 25X terms on campus! I think my time at Dartmouth so far has encouraged me to be more flexible. More optimistic. More open to new ideas, perspectives, and critiques. More creative. Happier. I hope that you enjoyed my first year of blog posts, and that you keep following along on this amazing, unpredictable journey I've found myself on. And of course, thank you again for reading.
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!
