Hi! I'm Reece, and I am '28 from Northern California! I hope to study Government, Policy, and Religion in college but come winter, I'll just be hoping to survive the snow. Outside of classes, I love to read, crochet, and journal, and can't wait to expand on my interests this year. I love the outdoors—but hate hiking—and I can't wait for my first spring on the Green! I hope my blog can help answer your ungoogleable questions, and please follow along for chaos that is bound to ensue!
As a student interested in both government and religion, I was thrilled to take this course in the fall—concurrent with the presidential election. The Professor, Randall Balmer, was a really engaging speaker and a leading expert in the field—he even authored two of the course books! We spent our class time discussing many historical and modern elections and discussed in depth the religious influences on the various figures. Overall, this class was really interesting and a great introduction to the religion major!
This Saturday, I attempted the impossible—or at least what I thought was impossible until coming to Dartmouth. In less than six hours, I went skiing on Dartmouth Skiway, ice skating on Occom Pond, and then sledding on the golf course: three everyday winter activities for Dartmouth students. Although completing all three may seem challenging, it was actually quite simple, and I hope to bring you all along on this mini-journey I experienced.
9:00 AM — Skiing:
At 9:00 AM on Saturday morning, I woke up and made my way to the Green—our massive park in the middle of campus. From there, I got on a free shuttle heading to the Dartmouth Skiway, the local ski hill affiliated with the College, less than thirty minutes from campus. During Winter Term, Dartmouth provides free transportation to and from the Skiway so that students can take advantage of the weather. Additionally, as a student, you also receive discounted rates on season lift tickets and rental gear, making snowsports more affordable and accessible for all students.
Skiing at the Skiway!
The view from the top!
After around two hours of skiing, I decided to head back to campus as I was feeling a bit tired. I returned my gear, got on the shuttle, and made it back to campus just after noon! Skiing was a success!
2:30 PM — Ice Skating:
In the afternoon, I walked from my dorm to the edge of Occom Pond to go ice skating with some friends. During the winter, the Dartmouth Outing Club is partially based out of the DOC House, a building on the pond's shore. As a student, you can rent ice skates, hockey sticks, snow sleds, and so much more, all for free. All you need is a Dartmouth ID!
We all got skates from the house, laced up, and went out on the ice. We eventually got some hockey sticks from the DOC House patio and played a mini-game of pond hockey!
Hockey on Occom!
Friends Out on the Pond!
3:30 PM — Sledding:
After ice skating, I met up with a different group of people to go sledding. I went to the DOC House and exchanged my skated for a sled—the entire transaction was free!
We got our gear and then walked less than 100 ft away to the start of the Dartmouth Golf course. There was already a group of students and locals alike taking advantage of the recent snowfall, so we decided to join in. We dropped our stuff off at this tree near the hill, walked to the top, and then raced down!
Our DOC Sleds!
Although I wasn't the fastest, I still had a great time and enjoyed competing with friends. I got sprayed with snow, tumbled on the hill, and almost crashed at the end, but I don't regret anything!
Post Sled Victory Pose!
Looking back at my life last year in high school, I would have never imagined that I would be here today, skiing in college, skating on a frozen pond, and then sledding down a golfd course in the middle of the term on a random Saturday!
In my short time here, I've learned that Dartmouth provides so much room for spontaneity and exploration, especially in the winter term. I'm so excited for what's to come this winter, and can't wait to keep on exploring the outdoors!
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.
