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!
The moment I stepped off the Dartmouth Coach, I couldn't help but smile at how beautiful the campus looked blanketed in snow. After spending my winter break away from Hanover, the unrelenting cold was a drastic yet welcome change in weather. During my first week back, I got to experience a wintery Dartmouth tradition and see how fun the cold weather can be. While eating dinner with my friends one day, I checked my email and saw a message from…. Dr. Seuss? With the subject line "Would you, could you, in the snow?", Dr. Seuss invited all Dartmouth students to go outside at midnight and participate in a campus-wide snowball fight. Excited at the prospect of pelting each other with snowballs, my friends and I got ready in preparation for the snowball fight. Thick jacket? Check. Snow boots? Check. A determination to hit as many people as possible with a snowball? Definitely check. Once the clock struck twelve, we began our march to the Green (a grassy field that is considered the center of campus).
Me and my friends at the snowball fight!
Alongside us, there were swarms of other people also heading to the battlefield. Before I could even take in all of my surroundings, my face was hit by a bitingly cold snowball thrown by my friend. Without even thinking, I quickly made a snowball and hurled it at her. And thus, the battle began. After an hour of running around the Green throwing snowballs at each other, my friends and I called a truce and headed to Collis (a dining place on campus) for mozzarella sticks to end the night.
The ultimate defense tactic: bury yourself in the snow.
The tradition of having a campus-wide snowball fight on the night of the first snowfall is very symbolic of what Dartmouth stands for. One of the key aspects of campus life at Dartmouth is how tight-knit the community is. During the snowball fight, it didn't matter whether you were friends with a person or not: everyone was fair game. Dartmouth traditions such as the snowball fight are cherished by the student body and play a large part in embodying the "Dartmouth experience" that binds together all current students and alumni alike. This experience was one for the books!
Snow, snow, snow, and more snow! Although my courses have definitely been difficult to manage, I have still been able to participate in some ~cool~ activities and admire winter in Hanover.
I was attracted by the opportunity to engage with first-year residents and shape their Dartmouth experiences, in addition to working with other UGAs and staff who shared my interest in helping others.
We so very wish you could step onto Dartmouth's campus yourself to witness the beauty of our winters live, but COVID-19 has made visiting campuses extremely difficult. I would love to share some of my favorite photos from this past snowy week!
With lots of things (understandably) still closed on campus, it's nice to know that study spaces are beginning to open up again in a safe and responsible way.
Alongside us, there were swarms of other people also heading to the battlefield. Before I could even take in all of my surroundings, my face was hit by a bitingly cold snowball thrown by my friend. Without even thinking, I quickly made a snowball and hurled it at her. And thus, the battle began. After an hour of running around the Green throwing snowballs at each other, my friends and I called a truce and headed to Collis (a dining place on campus) for mozzarella sticks to end the night.
