Hi everyone! I'm Madison. I'm originally from Pasadena, California, but I also spent eight years living in Manila, Philippines, and one year in Gibraltar. At Dartmouth, I plan to double major in Film & Media Studies and ASCL (Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages). Dartmouth has already opened up so many doors for me and truly changed my life for the better, so I'm really excited to share my college journey and experiences with you all!
Academic Program
Majors in Film and Media Studies and Asian Societies, Languages, and Cultures
An introductory Chinese class for beginners that provides a foundational understanding of the language, including pinyin, proper tones, pronunciation, character writing, basic vocabulary, and sentence structures.
A dynamic, hands-on course that emphasizes empathy-driven problem solving, rapid prototyping, and collaborative innovation through team projects, energizing activities, and practical skill-building sessions.
A course that builds on the foundations of Chinese 001 and 002 by introducing more sentence structures and vocabulary, with regular weekly drills to strengthen speaking and tonal pronunciation, and a shift from traditional to simplified characters in the final three weeks.
A course that builds on introductory Chinese 1 2, and 3, following Chinese 22, and deepens previously learned material through more complex grammar, sentence structures, and expanded vocabulary.
A film theory course that builds on some prior intro experience, where you watch, analyze, discuss, and write about films across different genres while learning how to apply various theories.
A lot of people at Dartmouth would say Green Key is one of the most fun and can't-miss weekends of the year. While the main event is the annual concert hosted by the Programming Board, the weekend also includes darties (daytime parties), student band performances, free food, and all kinds of events happening around campus. Overall, the vibes are just really good—everyone uses those two days to relax, have fun, and enjoy being together as a community before the term starts winding down.
Personally, Green Key to me is worth all the hype. There's something about that weekend that just feels different from the rest of the term. That weekend, in particular, has such a fun, carefree atmosphere around campus. Everyone is outside, music is constantly playing, people are spending time with their friends, and there's this collective sense of excitement and energy in the air. It feels like the entire Dartmouth community takes a moment to slow down and really enjoy the moment they're in and the people around them.
Day 1:
My Green Key started with my best friend, Sav, whom I actually didn't even know until my first year spring. We got ready together and headed to Block Party on frat row, which was probably my favorite event of the entire weekend (and honestly, a lot of people I talked to seemed to agree). It was genuinely so much fun. Everywhere you walked, you'd run into friends, music was blasting, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was in such good spirits.
Boots season!
Shoutout to the student band Shark for the set.
In between Block Party and the concert—which this year featured Grouplove and MKTO—I ran into my friend Alli, who's currently off campus. One thing I really like about Green Key is that so many people come back or visit for the weekend, whether it's friends on off-terms, friends from other schools, or random connections you never expect to see again.
I somehow ran into a friend from Georgetown that I hadn't seen since 7th grade, back when we both lived abroad after he moved from Manila to Egypt. I also randomly ran into someone I met during my study abroad program this past summer at Beijing Normal University. We were on different programs and had only crossed paths occasionally on campus before exchanging WeChats (the main messaging platform used in China), so seeing him again at Dartmouth felt so random. It really made the world feel incredibly small!
Spotted her through the Murphys' window!
The main concert at Green Key is always super crowded. To be honest, I didn't know many of the songs this year, but I was especially excited to hear Classic by MKTO. It was one of my favorite songs growing up, and hearing it live felt like a little piece of my childhood came back to life.
The concert everyone waits for.
Day 2:
I started the day by taking a short shuttle bus to Brewhaha at the Dartmouth Organic Farm (the "O-Farm"). Students received free food tickets, and I got to try everything from kombucha and ice cream to empanadas. There was also live music playing throughout the afternoon, and combined with the sunny weather, the whole event just felt really cheerful and wholesome. I'd say that after Block Party, this was probably my second favorite part of Green Key.
Their cover of "Brazil" was so good.
Glad we made the trip to the O-Farm!
Afterward, Sav and I went on a walk and stumbled upon a garden where we decided to sit and take a break from everything for a bit. Somehow, no one else seemed to have the same idea, so we had the entire place to ourselves. It was incredibly peaceful, and honestly, it ended up being one of my favorite moments of the weekend—just getting to sit, decompress, and talk together.
We found the perfect reset spot!
Accidentally took one of my favorite photos ever.
Throughout the day, Collis was giving out a bunch of free food, and Sav and I ended up getting tacos and roasted s'mores, both of which were super fun and really good. Later that night, we went to another concert, and that pretty much wrapped up our Green Key weekend!
You can probably tell who I spent most of the weekend with.
There was never a single "aha!" moment of clarity when I knew that Dartmouth was right for me, yet now, it is impossible for me to imagine having chosen anywhere else.
From a tight-knit study abroad cohort to intimate classroom moments and inspiring literary talks, French has grown far beyond a minor — becoming a thread that runs through the most meaningful parts of her Dartmouth life.
Amid the whirlwind of a ten-week term, the quietest moments — studying in the sun, cooking with a friend, running through Pine Park — turn out to be the ones worth savoring most.
