Hi everyone! I'm Oscar, a '28 from Flushing, NYC. My academic interests are a mix of the arts (studio art, graphic design), the sciences (psychology, biology, sustainability), and maybe even anthropology? All of which I'm thinking of merging with a major in Cognitive Science with a focus area on Design. Outside the classroom, I'm passionate about giving back to my community, fiber arts, and em dashes. Welcome to my blog—I'm excited to explore Dartmouth together!
COSC 1 was the most challenging but rewarding class of this term. I had minimal coding experience prior to this class, but the course is manageable because of all the support available. COSC 1 is one of the largest classes offered at Dartmouth—a total of 200 students split in two sections—but there was always ample help from Professor Vasanta's classes and concept hours and the TA team's recitation and office hours. I enjoyed that assignments had creative flexibility—I recreated "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book cover, wrote an adventure story, and made games for assignments.
I had completed my language requirement by taking CHIN 4 in my last term, but I was interested in further pursuing Chinese through CHIN 22. CHIN 22 is very similar in structure to CHIN 4—small class size, vocabulary exams, and drill sessions. I was lucky to take CHIN 22 with the Beijing Normal University's exchange professor, Professor Yin, who often adds color to lessons by explaining cultural element of China. Some interesting topics we've discussed include the effects of China's One Child Policy, transportation regulations in Beijing, and the symbolism of snow in Chinese culture.
Korean Student Association (KSA)'s Lunar New Year Celebration
KSA's Lunar New Year Celebration was a gathering in the McLaughlin Cluster centered around food and friends. Catering was provided by Yama (Young's) Restaurant, a Korean and Japanese restaurant in West Lebanon. Photos below were taken by Sam '28.
Tons of company…
…and of course, good food!
Vietnamese Student Association (VSA)'s Phở Bar
In celebration of Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán, meaning "Festival of the First Morning of the First Day", Vietnamese Student Association hosted a Phở Bar in One Wheelock. The phở gà (chicken pho) was made by VSA execs, using Khang '28's own family recipe! Photos below were taken by Gabbie '28 and Claudia '28.
The line stretched all the way up the staircase in Collis!
Malaysian Student Association (MSA)'s Lou Sang
Dartmouth Malaysian Student Organization, a newly minted club, had their first event—Lou Sang—in One Wheelock. Lou Sang is the act of tossing a traditional Chinese-Malaysian raw fish salad, called yee sang (鱼生). According to tradition, the higher the salad is tossed, the more prosperity and luck you will have in the new year. While tossing the salad, we also say wishes for the new year such as: 恭喜发财! (happiness and prosperity!) 心想事成! (may all your wishes come true!) and 万事如意! (may all go well with you!). Despite being Chinese-Malaysian this was my first time having Lou Sang. I was also excited to meet other Malaysian students on campus!
Our yee sang was made of smoked salmon, wonton crackers, pomelo pieces, shredded carrots, white radish, cucumber and topped with a plum sauce.
恭喜发财! (Happiness and prosperity!) 心想事成! (May all your wishes come true!) 万事如意! (May all go well with you!)
This brings us to the end of Lunar New year celebrations on campus! Despite the different foods eaten or traditions performed in celebration, a throughline for all these events is the combination of great food and great community. It's interesting how Dartmouth's diverse student body offers opportunities to connect—or reconnect—with different cultures. Here's to a new year filled with abundance and joy!
While many people might associate cold, long, snowy winters with hardship, I've found that winter at Dartmouth is full of potential to be just as fun as other seasons.
In just a month, I went from a complete beginner to a proficient skier, smoothly making my way down the green and blue runs at Dartmouth Skiway. Read about my journey and how I made such rapid progress!
