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.
As I got ready to head back to campus for the start of spring term, I was not expecting to have to bring my winter jacket and boots back with me!
Over the last couple of days, it snowed in Hanover. It really, really snowed—over 20 inches, I must add. In my opinion, the winter term weather was actually pretty mild. It snowed a few times, and we experienced some slushy snow, but I was never majorly inconvenienced by the snow. I really enjoyed snow-based activities, too, like the annual snowball fight, skiing, and sledding.
As I was packing to go home for spring break, I naively thought that I could expect to return to a sunny campus blooming with life. The last few days of the term only reinforced this idea: being able to play volleyball on the Green with my friends, going on a Woccom wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and studying for my finals on a bench outside of the library. I'm familiar with the concept of a false spring, and I guess I knew subconsciously that there was a possibility that it could snow during the spring term. But I expected flurries, not a storm.
I spent the last few days of break in New York City with one of my friends from Dartmouth, and as our peers made their way to campus, we started to get texts about the snow. At first, I thought everyone was exaggerating. Sure, it was snowing, but how bad could it really be? Then, I saw a photo on social media of snow completely covering the seat of the very same bench I had studied on just a couple of weeks ago. I was shocked, but I pushed the thought of snow to the back of my mind.
For the first couple hours of the Dartmouth Coach ride back to campus, I didn't see any snow. Then, all of a sudden, I looked up from my book to see a wintery landscape all around me. I commented to my friend that when we rode the bus back to campus together after winterim, there was no snow on the ground. That's when reality hit for the first time.
It hit me again when I stepped off the coach in Hanover. I really enjoy snow, so I decided to make the best of the situation. Instead of staying in my dorm until classes start tomorrow morning (which I was tempted to do), I made plans to grab dinner with a friend and catch up. After dinner, I headed to the library to clean out my Gmail inbox and get ready for the first day of class. I wrapped up the night by seeing some more friends and sharing stories with them about our breaks over a game of cards.
Maybe I'm just in a reflective mood, but I feel like there are a few lessons to be learned from this snow: always be prepared, embrace the unexpected, and never take your heavy-duty boots home!
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!
Homecoming—a time when current students and alumni gather to relive cherished memories and exhibit large amounts of school spirit. Find out how I spent my second Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth!
