Hey! I'm Owen from Hollywood, Florida and I'm a '24. My favorite activities are listening to music, running, and reading the same books over and over again. I'm an Earth Science modified with Physics major and Biology minor who loves "The New Yorker," the outdoors, and reading. On campus, I'm involved with hydrological research, the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, Hillel, Greek Life, and—obviously—this blog!
Academic Program
Major in Earth Science modified with Physics & a Minor in Biology
A freshman-only introductory biology class taught by an amazing professor who's super invested and wants students to make friends and develop a love of cell biology.
A really cool introductory Earth Science course that taught the basics of geology, Earth history, and paleontology: all in one super accessible course.
This class taught us the basics of the R programming language in order to use it to analyze real-life hydrologic data. In class, we got to analyze datasets about rain, river discharge, flooding, and acid rain, using only the skills we gained from this course with no prerequisites.
This discussion-based geography class was my first interaction with the Geography Department, which other students have been raving to me about. The class, which is cross-listed with African-American Studies, analyzes how locations shape black embodiment and identity. Super cool stuff!
It's been about two weeks since moving out to the Upper Valley to start winter term, and—just like the name of the term suggests—it's been extremely cold, especially for a Floridian like me. While the winter offers the opportunity for so many fun outdoor activities, think ice skating, sledding, skiing, and snowboarding, being unprepared for the cold is definitely an unpleasant occurrence. In order to enjoy the snow and the beautiful outdoors around the Hanover-area, here are some of the tips I've learned from friends, upperclassmen, and my own experiences to prevent freezing while at Dartmouth.
While obviously cold weather means wearing a coat, I never really thought that people actually wore caps during the winter, but—as it turns out—these are absolutely imperative. Not only do they help by protecting your ears from the cold, but they also protect your hair from snow; trust me, avoid wet hair as much as possible during the winter. The first time I shoveled snow while here, a pile of snow from one of the trees fell right on my head when I wasn't wearing a hat, and I promise I've never been colder in my entire life.
Beyond hats, shoes with traction are definitely a top priority. I wasn't expecting to slip all the time, but ice is everywhere during the winter, especially the morning after a warmer day. I would recommend bringing either boots or some form of ice grips to make sure you're not wiping out while walking to class.
A really overlooked winter necessity is lip balm and body moisturizer. This totally shocked me since I never really use lip balm back home in Florida, but here I'm constantly putting it on. Also, body moisturizer is a must have for winter weather; the combination of cold and dry air definitely takes a toll on your skin and I find myself needing to reapply every day or else my hands and legs get so dry.
Winter is definitely one of the most beautiful times to be in the Upper Valley. I'm so beyond excited to be able to take advantage of the outdoor activities. From running—which is super fun during the wintertime—to skiing, Dartmouth provides an outstanding sense of place that's perfect for every season, despite the temperature. So, while winter can obviously be cold and a little unpleasant, investing in a couple of things could make adjusting to the winter significantly easier.
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!
