Welcome to the woods! My name is Natalie and I'm from California (3035 miles away from Dartmouth)! I'm a political science and crossword puzzle nerd who's excited to dive into the millions of activities we have on campus. I'm a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major at Dartmouth, and am considering both a History and Human-Centered Design minor. I'm also the President of the Parliamentary Debate team! Go Big Green!
One of the major ways I spend my time on campus is on the debate team! At Dartmouth, there are two main types of debate, each who slot and fill their own teams: policy and parliamentary. I'm on the parliamentary team here, which is both informal and competitive. We practice 3 times a week for around an hour, running cases and talking through strategy, but we never have to wear suits or dress up for competition. For the fall term, our tournaments were online, and we debated against teams like Harvard, Williams, MIT, and Wesleyan. Most of the Parli team debated in high school, but we have a loud and proud contingency of novice debaters. Those of you who debated in high school might resonate when I say high school debate was intense — kids treated it like life or death!
I've been pleasantly surprised by the college debate environment. Tournaments are usually held on Friday nights, which contributes to the laid-back vibe. Don't get me wrong — the spirit of intellectualism and competition is still fierce — but the focus lies on the intellectual ideas, not the minutia of random rules like it did in high school. We debate in our t-shirts and jeans, letting the weight behind our words speak for itself. Topics also cover a fascinating range of topics: I've debated the death penalty and Batman movies in back-to-back rounds.
However, what I've loved most about Dartmouth debate is the social aspect: We have socials nearly every week, like ice skating on Occom pond to formals and a Dartmouth Pong 101 class. The group is very tight-knit, and I've loved being a part of the community.
In a few weeks, we're headed to our first in-person tournament at Northeastern — watch out Huskies! I'm excited to travel with the team and interact with some of our competitors in person. I'll keep you posted.
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
