Hi, my name is Liliana (or Lili, for short) and I'm a '26 from Hawaiʻi! On campus, I can be found performing with my dance troupe, going on walks with friends, and spending an excessive amount of time in Collis. I also love collectible stickers, ultra-specific playlists, free verse poetry, and iced tea. Excited to share my Dartmouth journey with you all! :-)
The Undead South: Horror and Haunting in U.S. Southern Literature explores the southern gothic trope in books, television programs, films, and even video games! This is an upper-level English course, so many of my peers were upperclassmen majoring in English. Despite this, the professor, Professor Taylor, made the space so inviting! I wrote my final paper on hospitality in the American South, where I had the opportunity to engage Get Out (film, 2017), Swamplandia! (book, 2011), and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (video game, 2017). I'd highly recommend taking this horror-themed course in the fall, when the leaves change and there's a certain spooky Halloween chill in the air!
Gender Topics in Native American Life taught me so much about indigenous communities other than my own! Professor Powell was so knowledgeable about the topic, and I especially enjoyed how she encouraged students to lead discussions and drive the conversation. My favorite part of this course was my final project, where I synthesized art pieces from indigenous Pacific Islanders outside the gender binary (māhū, in the Hawaiian language)!
Paris in the 19th Century was my first-year seminar! In this course, Professor O'Rourke taught us how to truly examine Parisian art from this era. Having no experience in art history, I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to understand how special the art pieces were – but, I can confidently say that I want to visit Paris now. At the end of the course, we each gave a presentation! Mine was on Mary Cassatt and her portrayal of the upper-class female experience. Her Impressionist art was so beautiful, from her pieces on motherhood, to friendship, to liberation.
SummerOʻahu, HI and Atlanta, GA
I spent the summer after my first year at home with friends and family! People really mean it when they say that your first year of college goes by in a flash. When I wasn't working part time at a local coffee shop, I visited Kauaʻi, lounged at the beach, saw The 1975 in concert, welcomed the new ʻ27s from Hawaiʻi, and was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding! In July, I also had the opportunity to intern in Atlanta, GA with College Horizons, a non-profit dedicated to helping more indigenous students enroll in & graduate from college. I attended their program for high schoolers back in 2021, and this time I helped run the program itself! I'm so grateful to College Horizons for such a wonderful experience.
Sociological Classics is exactly what it sounds like. We read some of the most fundamental sociologists, like Marx, Durkheim, Du Bois, and Weber. Professor Dixon was easygoing and approachable - I remember on the first day of class, we introduced ourselves and he asked us to share "what we're watching". (I think he was looking for some new show recommendations!) From the start, I loved this course and looked forward to it every time we met. I also loved that we didn't have a final...just a project! I finished mine on the couch at home!
Introduction to Environmental Science was actually held in the same classroom as Sociological Classics, so I instantly knew I'd love this class. Dr. Chaudhary and Dr. Peach co-taught this course – I enjoyed having two professors because their teaching styles were different, but they worked together well! Having taken an environmental science class in high school, I was worried that some of the content would sound too familiar, but I was wrong. I learned so much in this course about not only the fundamentals of environmental science, but sustainability, economics, social justice, and different cultures around the world. Dr. Peach was also my faculty of choice for Dartmouth's "take your professor to a Pine lunch" program!
Morality and Political Economy was my first government course beyond the intro classes, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous on the first day… but Dr. Clark has such a special way of making students feel at ease. His passion for this subject stuck out to me so much that I attended office hours after the very first class meeting—I had so many questions already! My favorite part of this course was how we got to engage with the Political Economy Project (or PEP, for short), of which Dr. Clark is the director! Throughout the term, we attended several PEP guest speaker events, which greatly enhanced the content we learned in class. From Abrahamic religious texts to modern-day criticisms of capitalism—this course was constantly teaching me about how people, throughout history and around the world, have attached moral significance to their economic activity.
In one of my past blog posts, I proudly declared that Dairy Twirl and Hanover Scoops were my favorite ice cream spots in the Upper Valley. However, I came to you today with a new development: I've just tried Ice Cream Fore-U, and my life has changed.
Ice Cream Fore-U, also known colloquially as IC4U, is conveniently located in the parking lot of West Lebanon's Home Depot. IC4U is open seasonally, much like other ice cream spots in the area, and it boasts an expansive menu of yummy treats, like sundaes, Italian ice, flurries, and banana boats! I've already been twice in the span of three weeks, and I don't plan to stop any time soon. Before coming to Hanover and the Upper Valley, I'd never experienced an ice cream shop that was only open seasonally—but now, after fall, winter, and spring—I'm more excited than ever! New England really has it down when it comes to garnering excitement for seasonal treats.
Here's the black raspberry soft serve with Oreo crumbles! I am a creature of habit…
Some notable IC4U flavors are black raspberry (of course), moose tracks, cannoli, peanut butter pie, and cherry vanilla! To see more, check out the menu from their Yelp page—the menu is a bit hard to find on the official IC4U website.
In the two times I've been here, the line has been incredibly long—due to its fame and popularity—but the service is so quick and friendly! I enjoy going to IC4U because I know I'll see more than just fellow students but families from the Upper Valley (there's even a playground right next to the actual ice cream shop!).
When you're finished eating your ice cream, you can even engage in some mini-golf! The Fore-U golf center is nearby—I believe it's right in IC4U's backyard, but I've yet to check it out in person for myself. I'm a pretty big fan of mini-golf, especially since I'm terrible at actual golf. I'll have to check out Fore-U golf soon while the season lasts! Such a wonderful summer is in store for me up here in the Upper Valley!
This was a short one, but I promise I'll be back, hopefully not talking your ear off about food spots 24/7. In the meantime, if you find yourself visiting Dartmouth or the Upper Valley during your summer break, I highly recommend stopping by IC4U! You may just find me there, devouring a black raspberry soft serve. Maybe it's time I venture out of my comfort zone and try a banana boat!
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
