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 class designed to teach the fundamentals of camera operation while giving students the opportunity to experiment with different techniques and styles, culminating in the production of three original films throughout the semester.
Throughout the term, students watch and discuss a range of example documentaries while completing hands-on exercises to build their editing and production skills. In small groups, they also develop and produce an original 10-minute documentary, gaining experience with filming, storytelling, and editing from concept through completion. The course culminates in an official screening of the completed films.
Four years ago, during the summer of 2022, I spent three weeks at a summer program here at Dartmouth. By coincidence, it was also my older sister's Sophomore Summer, a unique Dartmouth tradition where every sophomore stays on campus to take classes. Whenever camp ended for the day, I got to step into her world and experience a little of what made the term so special.
Little did I know I'd be back four years later for my own Sophomore Summer.
Excited for the summer term!
Looking back, it almost felt like my sister was at summer camp too. She gave me my first glimpse of everything that makes Dartmouth so special. I took my first-ever campus tour, wandered through buildings that I would one day call familiar, tagged along to social mixers with her and her friends, explored town, and tried the iconic Molly's and Lou's for the first time. I even spent a night at her sorority house, where she was living that summer, and ventured beyond campus to places like Storrs Pond and Mount Moosilauke.
Spent a beautiful day at Mount Moosilauke
At the time, I was just a high school student getting a preview of college life. I never imagined that those three weeks would become one of the reasons I fell in love with Dartmouth.
Now, four years later, somehow, it's my Sophomore Summer! It's hard to believe how much has changed since that first visit, and even harder to believe that the summer I once experienced through my sister's eyes is finally my own.
The summertime has always been my favorite season, and after writing a blog post last summer about what I hoped to gain from my study abroad experience in Beijing, it feels fitting to write another one about what I hope to gain from my Sophomore Summer.
#1) Make wholesome memories with my friends while also meeting new people
Because of the D-Plan, Dartmouth students take terms off at different points throughout the year, so it's common to go a term—or sometimes even two or more—without seeing some of your closest friends. That's what makes Sophomore Summer so special: for one term, everyone in the class is back together on campus.
One of my biggest goals this summer is simply to make memories with my friends that I'll carry with me long after graduation. I realized that once college is over, it's rare to have all of your closest friends living just a short walk away, where grabbing dinner, studying together, or making last-minute plans is as easy as sending a text. Before long, we'll all have jobs, live in different cities, and be working around much busier schedules.
Knowing that makes me appreciate this summer even more. I don't want to take this time for granted. I want to make the most of being surrounded by the people I care about while also staying open to meeting new people and forming new friendships along the way!
Happy belated birthday, Lauren!
#2) Have fun joining a dance group
Dance auditions took place at the very beginning of the term, and they were definitely more arduous than I expected. There are five dance groups on campus, and I auditioned for four of them, which meant going through two rounds of auditions and spending almost the entire day dancing.
In the end, I joined Sugarplum—or "Splenda," as they call themselves during Sophomore Summer! The group already seems like so much fun, and I was drawn to their more feminine, expressive dance style. I'm really excited for the chance to perform, meet new people, make awesome memories, and improve as a dancer.
#3) Explore more of the Upper Valley
One of my good friends, Luke ('27), did an incredibly kind and unexpected thing by offering to lend me his car for Sophomore Summer (huge shoutout to him!). Having a car completely changes the game. Instead of being limited to campus and downtown Hanover, I can easily explore more of the Upper Valley whenever I have free time, which is huge.
This summer, I want to make the most of the opportunity to explore by checking out new hiking trails, swimming holes, waterfalls, and all the other hidden gems the Upper Valley has to offer.
#4) Make the Most of Kappa This Summer
Kappa has so many fun social events planned this term and I hope to attend as many as I can. I think these events are a great opportunity to get to know people better, and I want to be intentional about building deeper friendships with my sisters while also meeting people outside of my usual circles.
Also, a random fun fact: I'm designing our summer merch this term, and I'm really excited about it!
#5) Enjoy living in a house
One thing I'm doing this term that I've never experienced before is living in a house. My friends and I actually had to start the housing search almost a year in advance, but it was definitely worth it. After spending my first two years in the residence halls, I've realized that living in a house has a completely different feel. It's much cozier and feels like an actual home, which makes it the perfect place to spend Sophomore Summer.
Our house is about a two-minute walk from CVS, which means we walk through downtown Hanover every time we head to central campus. It's a little farther from campus than the residence halls, but I honestly don't mind. In fact, I kind of like being a bit removed from the busier parts of campus.
One of my favorite parts is living with some of my closest friends, something that's hard to do under Dartmouth's housing system. At the end of the day, we naturally end up hanging out in the living room, studying together, cooking dinner in the kitchen, or eating outside on the patio when the weather is nice. Since we're all under the same roof, it's also just so much easier to spend time together, even if it's just for a few minutes between classes or before bed.
A yummy meal Lauren and I cooked!
Overall, I have a feeling this is going to be a term for the books. I'm excited to document it along the way, so stay tuned for more blogs as the summer unfolds!
Last September, a friend and I crafted a ten-item bucket list for our final year as undergraduates. It's the end of our senior spring now. These are some of the boxes I've checked.
