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!
Although we're a relatively small college, Dartmouth has many places around campus to get food. Whether you want a morning coffee, a quick sandwich or a hot slice of pizza, Dartmouth Dining is the easiest solution. This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite foods of last week, mostly from our main dining hall, The Class of 1953 Commons, more commonly referred to as Foco. As a first-year, I am on the Ivy Unlimited meal plan, which means I get unlimited meal swipes at Foco and other locations, as well as $325 dining dollars a term. You'd think that sounds like more than enough, but I run through it so quickly! Before I start, I'll preface this with the fact that I have no allergies, so I usually don't have to watch out for any ingredients. There are many stations that cater to people with certain allergens and dietary restrictions, so there's still something for everyone.
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes & Sausages
I'm not much of a morning person, and my course schedule for the term makes it difficult for me to have a leisurely, seated breakfast. Admittedly, I don't often come here for breakfast due to my aforementioned schedule, but when I can, I try to. I did, however, manage to get this one and it was really simple yet delicious. It was the perfect start to my morning. I even went back for seconds!
Breakfast, served hot and tasty!
Soup: Lobster Bisque
Foco has a soup station consisting of four soups that rotate daily. This one is my all time favorite. This lobster bisque is super smooth and creamy. It tastes even better in the winter, as it warms you up after you've walked in the cold for a while. Whenever I see this in the dining hall, I make a beeline for it. The soup station also has fresh bread next to it. One of my favorites (which my friend Reece introduced me to) is the sourdough loaf.
My first serving of lobster bisque. I usually have at least two, because why not?!
Dessert: Snickerdoodle
Whilst I love most of the food stations at Foco, the dessert one really stands out as one of the fan favorites. The dessert station has a single constant: the Fookie (Foco cookies). Filled with semi-sweet chocolate, basking under the heat lamps, they're always warm. The other desserts are always on rotation. There's usually at least five different desserts from day to day, from cannolis to tres leches cake to strawberry shortcake. This, however, is an amazing dessert. The snickerdoodle is simply heavenly, full of cinnamon and sugar.
The tray of snickerdoodles, replaced as soon as they run out!
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Sandwich & Fries
This meal, unlike the others, isn't from Foco. It's from the Courtyard Cafe, more often known as "the Hop"' ;it's called this because it's located in the Hopkins Center for the Arts building. There's always a large amount of people there, and for good reason. There's great food and they are open every day. This dinner was great! The fries were crispy and the burger was fresh and very tasty. You can usually get other things from the Hop like crisps, drinks and fruit cups. I usually get a cup of strawberries (to cancel out the calories, of course!).
Dinner from the Hop!
Altogether, I like the variety of food I can find at Dartmouth Dining Services. On weekdays, all the locations are open and getting something to eat is very easy. At the weekend, however, with some of them closed and some of them working shorter hours, options are a bit more limited. Nevertheless, I'd say it's definitely worth it and I really do love the food here!
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.
