Welcome! I'm Olivia Koo '26, hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico. I am studying biological chemistry on the pre-med track, and I'm excited to be supplementing it with music, as a classical pianist and singer-songwriter! Some of my favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos about video games, singing and playing my guitar, and reading New York Times op-eds. Look through my page for information about Dartmouth's pre-med track, STEM research, acapella/music, and study abroad opportunities!
Unsure whether I would enjoy the biology-heavy pre-health track, I took an intro biology class. I surprisingly found myself so invested each class—I didn’t think I’d ever be excited trying to determine if the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had DNA or RNA, but here we are! I found it a great introduction to thinking processes at Dartmouth.
I loved coming to this class with its supportive environment! The professor's feedback really helped me improve in my writing. This course guided us through personal narratives and organizational writing while discussing what it really means to be authentic. It also introduced me to the library’s resources for writing and research!
This class was definitely not easy! The accelerated version of general chemistry, it was my first class at Dartmouth that used a textbook, and I had to adapt and learn how to use a textbook for a class properly. But that didn't mean I didn't have a good time! The classes were full of physical demonstrations, and I felt very supported in the lab and beyond.
This was the first group music class I took, and I loved it! Each class we'd move a little forward in time; one day we'd talk about medieval chants, and by the next couple weeks, we talked about Baroque music. We even got to observe original medieval music scores from the Rauner Library, and attend a performance of Baroque music by the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra!
Songwriting 1 was the first time I was able to work on something creative/in the arts at Dartmouth, and I really loved it! I got to learn how to improve my songwriting and get to know a community of fellow songwriters on campus. The class was both supportive and constructive, and I pushed myself to my creative limit with the assignment of writing one new song a week. This class inspired me to continue writing and being expressive, whether in an academic setting or not.
For one of my classes on the London Music FSP, I got to attend a myriad of musical performances in London and discuss them with my class! It was a once-in-a-life-time experience–getting to watch multiple operas, ballets, jazz sets, and a musical, as well as seeing beautiful performances from the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and more, helped me grow my ear so much and my inspirations as a musician.
I took this class to learn a little more about the social landscape around medicine, and this class delivered that by a mile. From environmental exposure to racial inequities in medicine/health to the discussion of medicine itself as a manipulative tool in colonialist social structures, this class helped me rethink medicine and my role within it.
Living Learning Communities are a set of communities on campus that revolve around a residential space and that integrates connecting and learning about a certain topic, whether it be identity-based, language-based, or based on a shared interest. Basically, a group of students who are interested in a certain topic live together to foster that community and the learning within it, along with an instructor/mentor that encourages communication and discussions about that topic. Most live together in houses/residential halls around campus!
So, what kind of topics are there?
There are a lot! For identity-based houses, there's the Triangle House, which is centered around LGBTQ+ experiences and history; the Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies House which is dedicated to Latin American and Latino experiences; the Native American House, which revolves around Native American culture. Of course, there are more. These LLCs seem to be a great opportunity for those with a certain identity wishing to connect with others part of/interested in the identity.
There are also language-based LLCs that are focused on speaking and immersing in a certain language. There's the Chinese Language House, which focuses on Chinese, La Casa, which focuses on Spanish, and so on.
Shared Interest communities are based around a certain goal; for example, the Sustainable Living Center focuses on environmental sustainability, and lives together focusing on that lifestyle.
For example, here's the Chinese Language House!
However, all of these I've listed so far are for upperclassmen. So, how am I in an LLC right now?
First-Year LLCs
There are a couple of Living Learning Communities available for first-years. The majority of them are located in the Mclaughlin cluster—specifically, the third and fourth floors of Bildner and Rauner. We live on the same residential floors to maintain that community. I'm part of the Asian and Asian American LLC. Before the fall term began, there was an application process where students could apply to the LLCs that they may have wanted to be a part of.
LLCs are on the third and fourth floors of this building!
Why be part of an LLC? Being in an LLC for my first year here has provided a different experience than being part of a typical residence floor; the students on the floor are part of different houses, meaning that the initial connections that I made weren't limited to the house I'm in. The shared interests between different LLCs on the floor make a diverse dynamic that is unique and very interesting; I've been able to have so many interesting conversations with people on the floor about their goals and lives. It may not be a typical dorm experience, but it's definitely one I don't regret signing up for. Spending my first year in the McLaughlin cluster (known for its high quality) doesn't hurt, either.
The goal of my LLC is to encourage conversations around Asian and Asian-American identity, and the intersection of this identity with others, like nationality, sexuality, and/or gender. We're a smaller LLC—including myself, there are only five students. Last term, we made bibimbap together for dinner at the Chinese Language House, and watched a Ghibli movie, Howl's Moving Castle. This week, we had a meal together at Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine, a Thai restaurant in Hanover. I hope we can organize more events to take part in the LLC in the next few terms, but for now, it's been a good time!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
