Hey! I'm Nuna and I'm a '28 from Accra, Ghana. I plan on studying Biology at Dartmouth but I'm definitely on the lookout for any other interesting areas of study. When I'm not in class (and not catching up on sleep), I'm reading, cooking or winning card games with my friends (especially Uno and Hearts!). I plan on getting involved with a lot of organizations on campus, so come along and join me for the ride!
I had a little experience with calculus before I came to Dartmouth, but this course made it a lot more fun while still being appropriately challenging. We learnt about limits, derivatives, differentiation and integration methods. My professor was a lot of fun and I made a lot of good friends in this class because it was such an engaging class and a friendly environment. I’m not sure if I’ll be taking any more calculus classes, but this one was a really good way to kick off my journey.
This class is an even mix between an English, History and Jewish Studies class. By using articles, movies and memoirs, we learn to how write effectively on the topic of gender and sexuality in relation to the Holocaust. The main focus is on organizing arguments, using evidence and developing a distinct writing style. Though I'm not a big fan of History, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Not only do I think my writing has improved dramatically, but I also learnt a lot about World War II and the nuanced experiences of people of different genders and sexualities. Our professor was also brilliantly engaging and very constructive in her teaching style. I might end up taking more History classes after this!
Every student is sorted into a house community when they first arrive at Dartmouth. There are six house communities: West House, South House, Allen House, North Park House, School House and East Wheelock House. I am in West House. Each house community participates in competitions together and organizes house events such as dinners and trips. This term, some of us West House students got the opportunity to take a trip to Boston! Some of us got to go to the New England Aquarium, while the others went to see the Boston Celtics basketball game at TD Garden.
First, we met up on the bus at 9:30am. We were joined by some of the West House leadership team and Resident Fellows (RFs). We were provided sandwiches, crisps and cookies for the drive to Boston. Most of us just listened to music or took a nap on the bus. The drive was uneventful, and when we arrived in Boston, we first stopped at TD Garden to drop off the people who were going to watch the basketball game. The Celtics won, to the excitement of many students.
After dropping those people off, we headed to the New England Aquarium. There were so many amazing exhibits, showcasing aquatic life from all over the world. There were penguins, small sharks, so many species of fish and even sea lions. I think my favorite thing to see was the stingray—it was so cute! After looking at all the exhibits, we were taken to a theatre where we watched a 3D movie about dolphins and marine conservation. It was very informative and eye-opening as well. After the movie, we quickly hit the gift shop before we left for Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
The cownose ray!
It actually took us a little while to get there. It was a short walk, but we got slightly lost until we all figured out the route using our map. At Faneuil Hall Marketplace, we were given a bit of time to go shopping and return to our meeting place at 4pm. My friend Vanessa and I made the most of this time, running between different stores and trying stuff on. We actually got a few things, and managed to return to the prescribed spot at 4:03pm, where everyone was already waiting (oops!). After we made sure that everyone was presented, we ventured to the food court to grab dinner. We were given the option between two places (or more if anyone had dietary restrictions), but I can't remember their names. I got a Philly cheesesteak (yes, in Boston, I know) with a lemonade, and it was delicious. After everyone had gotten their dinner, we did a final headcount, boarded the bus and once again napped on the bus back to Hanover. It was truly an amazing day.
Walking to the Faneuil Marketplace.
All house communities have their own events. For example, last term, Allen House had a New York trip. No matter what house community you get allocated to, there's so much fun involved and I love the community building and relationship building aspect of being in a house community.
Entering a new environment miles away from home, knowing little to no people at first, can feel daunting. However, Dartmouth's support systems, particularly through the First Generation Office (FGO), have been nothing short of incredible.
