Natasha Raman

This book, written by the acclaimed Mexican writer Yuri Herrera, explores the themes of immigration, family, and inequality in the United States. Because I read this book for Foundations in Social Impact, which is a first-year program for Dartmouth students interested in making a difference in the Upper Valley, I analyzed this novel through the lens of social impact and gained deep insights into contentious social issues that affect our society. 

I read this book for my Writing 5 class called Happiness and the Law, which is taught by Professor Rockmore. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because I learned a lot about how the mind works and how to cultivate happiness in my own life. 

I read The Righteous Mind for my Introduction to Public Policy class this term. This book explains the fascinating relationship between morality, intuition, and reasoning. Although I may have experienced a mini existential crisis after learning about how the human brain is wired, it was definitely a worthwhile read. 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, layering is probably the single most important aspect of staying warm in cold weather. Before the cold front hit, all of my friends who lived in the Northeast warned me that if I didn’t layer properly, I would freeze into an icicle the moment I stepped outside. And while they definitely were exaggerating, being inadequately dressed for the cold is snow laughing matter. Wearing a hat, boots, and layering a big coat over a lighter jacket and a long sleeve shirt has become my staple outfit and has kept me toasty even when the temperature hit the low teens. 

Seasonal drinks are arguably one of the best parts of living in a place that has cold weather. I like to warm myself up after being out in the cold for a long time by drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows from KAF, a popular cafe on campus. In addition to making my fingers feel warm and tingly while holding the cup, drinking a hot drink definitely makes me feel happier and less concerned with how un-brr-lievably cold it is outside.

One of the most important tips I’ve learned while being here this term is just to have fun outside, especially when it’s snowing. As cheesy as it sounds, half the battle against the cold weather is won just by having a positive attitude about it! When the first flurry of snow came down on campus, it truly was love at frost sight. After mesmerizing at how pretty the campus looked when covered in snow, I and some of my friends decided to have a mini snowball fight and take silly pictures outside. Although we were freezing our butts off, we were too busy having fun to realize how cold it was.