Hello everyone! My name is Natasha Raman and I'm a freshman at Dartmouth. Although I'm undecided on my major, I am leaning towards something related to government, economics, and Asian studies. In my free time, I like to watch The Office, keep up with current events, learn new languages, and hang out with my friends. I am excited to explore my interests at Dartmouth and take advantage of the amazing opportunities offered here!
Apart from maybe midterm season, Halloween is the scariest time of the year. While other holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to steal the spotlight, Halloween holds a special place in my heart. When I was a child, I looked forward to picking out my costume and going trick-or-treating with my friends. Oh, and of course, I was always excited about the candy. From Skittles to Snickers and Butterfinger, it is truly a miracle that I never got a cavity from eating so much sugar! Although I stopped going trick-or-treating by the time I was in high school, I still love celebrating this holiday. From watching scary movies with friends to giving out candy to cute kids in costumes, Halloween is a time for wicked fun.
When I got to college, I didn't know how I was going to celebrate Halloween. But rest assured, I quickly learned that we go all out for Halloween at Dartmouth. From the Class of '53 Commons (more commonly known as FoCo) decking itself out in Halloween-esque decorations to students wearing the most ridiculous Halloween costumes, it became very clear to me that the Dartmouth community loves to get into the spirit of this spooktacular holiday.
My Halloween looked a little different this year than it did last year. While attending a Halloween party and hanging out with friends was off the cards due to the pandemic, I still had a fa-boo-lous day. I kicked off the night by carving pumpkins with my parents, which was really fun.
The Jack-o'-lanterns I carved with my parents.
Afterward, I watched the movie "Dead," which is a hilarious paranormal comedy. During quarantine, the Hopkins Center for the Arts has been hosting a program called Hop@Home. This program offers plenty of virtual events and movies for students to watch for free. In fact, I was able to watch "Dead" for free through Hop@Home. Before I went to bed, I had to do some studying for my midterm the next day-- talk about some truly spooky stuff!
A still from the movie "Dead."
Halloween is one of many occasions that the Dartmouth community celebrates. More than anything, Halloween is a day for people to have fun and spend time with their friends. Everyone in the community is involved-- from local Hanover residents to staff members and students, celebrations at Dartmouth are always full of excitement and never disappoint!
As a member of Dartmouth's Native community, just a few weeks into my sophomore summer, we've been busy revitalizing our community and making Dartmouth, once again, feel like home.
Whenever you ask a Dartmouth alumnus about their favorite term in college, many of them will tell you sophomore summer. Here are some of the activities I am most looking forward to this term:
Being back on campus, especially seeing all the faces, familiar or not, somehow help me return to a certain sense of normalcy. Little by little, I'm getting there. And maybe, it's okay if the feeling of complete normalcy is still far down the road.
I noticed a free paddle boarding lesson sponsored by the Outdoor Programs Office (OPO) at Dartmouth and made the 20-minute trek from my Topliff dorm to Ledyard Canoe Club, situated right on the Connecticut River.
Afterward, I watched the movie "Dead," which is a hilarious paranormal comedy. During quarantine, the Hopkins Center for the Arts has been hosting a program called Hop@Home. This program offers plenty of virtual events and movies for students to watch for free. In fact, I was able to watch "Dead" for free through Hop@Home. Before I went to bed, I had to do some studying for my midterm the next day-- talk about some truly spooky stuff!
