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 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 recently realized that December was the first month of 2024 in which I wasn't enrolled in an academic term at Dartmouth. In 2024, I completed the 24W, 24S, 24X, and 24F terms (this is our nomenclature for quarters- 24X is Summer of 2024), taking 12 courses while studying both in Hanover and in Rome on the FIRE program.
January: During the chilly days of January, my friends and I became obsessed with New York Times games. Here, we're working together at FoCo (students' nickname for our dining hall) to complete the full crossword!
February: In February, I discovered a love for Reiss Hall (commonly known as "Blobby"-- Baker-Berry Library Lobby) and spent a lot of time studying there throughout midterms. I even wrote a blog post about the space, which you can read here!
March: As the weather began warming up in March, my friends and I took every opportunity we could to spend time outside. Here, we're playing volleyball in front of Dartmouth Hall (so fun)!
April: For the eclipse in April, I traveled with Ledyard Canoe Club (a sub-club of the Dartmouth Outing Club) to Barton, Vermont (in the path of totality). Although our paddle was unsuccessful, I started to get really involved in the club!
May: May was one of my favorite months at Dartmouth, full of picnics on the Green, paddles on the Connecticut, and capped off by Green Key Weekend!
June: June marked both the end of 24S and the beginning of 24X in Rome. My cohort spent the first couple of days abroad trying to find our footing—here, Asfand and Noah are having a fun time in our professor's kitchen!
July: In July, I started to feel a bit burnt out for the first time. To combat this, I spent more time on fun activities like reading for pleasure (books pictured here!) and exploring Rome with my friends.
August: At the end of August, I wrapped up my time in Rome and said my goodbyes to friends, professors, and the Dartmouth College Rome Center (pictured here).
September: September was a great month, because I was able to catch up with all of my friends back on campus! It was amazing to hear about what everyone had gotten up to throughout the summer.
October: In October, I spent a lot of time studying during midterms for my four courses. My favorite spots were Rauner, Sanborn, and the Classics Library!
November (not pictured): November was spent preparing for the election with Dartmouth Civics, wrapping up my final projects, and saying goodbye to my friends before Winterim and my upcoming Italian LSA+ (study abroad)!
Dartmouth's Chinese New Year celebrations brought a sense of home through themed dining, student-led events, and cultural gatherings, fostering community and appreciation for the holiday.
