Hi! I'm Lauren, a '26 interested in biological anthropology, classics, and global health! Originally from Long Island, NY, I grew up spending every free moment swimming in the ocean. Going to college in NH was a shift away from that; however, I frequent the CT River during the warm seasons! Outside of academics, I am a tour guide and am involved in paleoanthropology research, Global Health Fellows, Camp Kesem, and First Year Trips. I can't wait to share my Dartmouth experience with you!
Academic Program
Anthropology major concentrated in Biological Anthropology, Classical Studies minor
Latin 1 is the first of three introductory Latin courses at Dartmouth. The class is split into small teams; students complete coursework as groups. I cannot recommend taking Latin enough: the classes are tiny, the professors are fantastic, and some even bring their dogs to class (check out my blog about Dartmouth's Latin dogs). I finished the introductory Latin sequence, fulfilling my language requirement. Now, I am continuing to work in the department as a Learning fellow—a student who has already taken the class and attends class to facilitate group work.
After taking Latin 1 in my first term, when it came time to pick my writing seminar (the second required portion of the first-year writing sequence), I naturally chose the course themed on the Greco-Roman world. This course was incredible and was seminar-style, so we discussed readings, went to the Hood Museum of Art, and presented on a feature of art in Pompeii that we found particularly interesting.
My first anthropology course! This archaeology course introduced me to the field of anthropology and archaeology at Dartmouth. This course was lecture-style, with different lectures on everything, including the evolution of religious thought, human sacrifice, and Stonehenge! The professor was incredibly engaging, and we even got to pick lecture topics during the end of the term.
SummerWater Mill, NY
I spent my summer at home, working on my family's vegetable farm. I also started working as an Admissions Communications Intern for the Admissions Office!
Anth006 was my first biological anthropology course! This course was incredible; this introduction course delves into the concentrations within anthropology and everything from the first life on earth to applied anthropology today! We also often had guest lecturers, from visiting professors to graduate students, who would speak about their concentration and research.
Fossils, fossils, fossils! Our professor is a renowned paleoanthropologist, so the course focuses on fossil traces of human ancestors and relatives. Human Evolution is a lecture-style course, but every Friday, we go to the paleoanthropology lab to handle casts of fossils—which we were introduced to during lectures. These fossils are also our primary form of assessment, as we were assessed on the fossils in culminating lab practicals. It is incredible not only to learn about the discoveries that shape our understanding of human evolution but also to engage directly with replicas of them.
Anth017 course focused on individuals' experiences of illness. Our professor was a medical and psychological anthropologist, so it was interesting to hear about the intersections of her research and our course's themes. Throughout the term, we discussed various topics like illness behavior, the culture of biomedicine, and structural violence. We had daily readings and three full-length texts—which we read throughout the term. Our final project was a gateway to delve deeper into the course's themes. This opportunity was particularly enriching as it allowed me to integrate my URAD research into the course seamlessly. This personal connection made the final project a truly enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
The Sixties was an incredible Humanities course taught by a Religion professor. Each week, we broke down a year of the “long sixties”—starting with JFK’s assassination in 1963 and ending with Nixon’s resignation in 1974. We learned both about the history and the culture of the decade. My favorite part about this course was the emphasis on the music of the "long sixties." We listened to the top 30 songs for each year of the "long sixties," and now I have a fantastic playlist from all of the songs I have discovered due to this class (some Don McLean, Simon & Garfunkel, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, The Supremes, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and so many others)!
I will never get over how fast winter term is at Dartmouth. It is ten weeks long, like all of Dartmouth's academic terms, but it always seems to go by in the blink of an eye.
Coming into Dartmouth last year, I was apprehensive about the winter and the cold, but winter can be an incredibly fun term! I went through my camera roll and pulled some of my favorite pictures from my winter term and some fun winter activities and traditions!
The snowball fight: Perhaps one of my favorite nights of winter term, on the first substantial snowfall of the winter term, Dartmouth students get an email from Theodore Geisel—Dr. Seuss, Dartmouth class of 1925—inviting students to go out onto the Green (the main quad) and have a school-wide snowball fight. It is so much fun.
I finally went to Boston!This trip was my first time using the Dartmouth Coach to get to Boston—despite it being an incredibly convenient and doable trip. Before this trip, my only Dartmouth Coach experience was through NYC, going to and from Dartmouth. I went down with my roommate and some friends one weekend; we explored and went shopping! Here is a photo of my roommate Nikki in front of Dartmouth Street in Boston!
Skiing! I went skiing with my friend Alison on the Dartmouth Skiway. The Skiway is a convenient 20 minutes away from campus, and Dartmouth even runs a shuttle to the Skiway during the winter. I took weekly ski lessons last winter, so it was nice to get back to the Skiway this year and see if I had lost my ability to ski (Update: I can still ski).
I looked at a whole lot of fossils:One of my anthropology courses, Human Evolution, is very hands-on. Each week, we go to the paleoanthropology lab and study fossil casts. Consequently my camera roll is almost entirely fossils. Here is a picture of a Sivapithecus (and an orangutan skull) and Lucy!
Intramural ice hockey: Last year, some friends and I joined IM hockey to play in the housing community tournament (every first-year student is sorted into a housing community—think Hogwarts—which competes in the "house cup" through IM sporting events). This year, I jumped at the opportunity to do IM hockey again!
Ice skating:Ice skating at Lake Morey was a random week eight discovery. Unfortunately, Occom Pond—the pond at the northern end of campus—never froze enough for any Dartmouth-sanctioned skating or the annual polar bear plunge. My friends and I discovered that 20 minutes away, there was an inn that offered figure skating rentals. We were there on their last day of the season. I will definitely be back in years to come!
This is a bonus photo of a happy golden retriever I encountered on my way to Molly's, a dinner favorite of mine and my friends.
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!
