Hi everyone! I'm Rika, a semi-international '28 from Japan, India, and Malaysia. I'm interested in studying women, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as public policy, global health, and biology while also being on the pre-health track! In my free time, I love to read books, cook and bake, play violin, spend time with animals, be sarcastic, and drink hot drinks (especially teas)! I'm so excited to share my exploration of Dartmouth with everyone :)
Academic Program
Intended WGSS on the Pre-Health track
Favorite Thing Right Now
Decorating my dorm to make it more homey! Also the FOCO ice cream bar :)
Sex, Gender, and Society is a class in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) department. It focuses on how gender and sexuality are represented in the media and explores different ways society shapes our perspectives. This discussion-based class features multiple group projects, which allowed me to meet and interact with many of my classmates, which was super helpful in my first term! Fun fact: this class taught me how to plan, film, and edit a podcast on campus!
In this class, we explored the different contemporary meanings of the 4 concepts; love, romance, intimacy and dating. What did they look like at Dartmouth? How were they represented or defined in scholarly research? Why are they important to the world and human interaction? Our classes consisted of thoughtful discussions, insightful lectures, and even primary research. The final project was a research paper that featured the data we collected as a class. It was a wonderful course that introduced me to the world of sociology and qualitative research!
Read about some of my top eats of the winter quarter—some in Hanover and some on trips during the term!
The Fern, an on-campus cafe: Mango, strawberry, blueberry, almond, and granola yogurt parfait topped with honey! This was my go-to breakfast for the winter quarter, which I had a total of 26 times! It truly never disappoints!
The Works in Hanover: Southwest Chicken Sandwich! A classic sandwich that got me through some long study sessions.
Various Restaurants in Chicago: This term, I visited my sister in Chicago and ate a LOT of food, including pasta, bruschetta, Greek sandwiches, and ramen!
The Hanover Co-Op: Philadelphia Roll! This was my first time trying sushi at the Co-Op, and it was fantastic! The fish is so fresh and of such high quality. I would definitely recommend the Poke as well!
Tuk Tuk Thai in Hanover: Pad See Ew! I had this dish a few times during the fall quarter, but it was still a hit in the winter!
The School House Cube: Waffle bar! School House hosted a waffle bar for us during finals season, with whipped cream, fresh berries, chocolate chips, and more!
Blank Street NYC: Chai Latte and Strawberry Matcha! Another treat from my short trip to New York on the Dartmouth Coach (read my blog about the trip here).
The Nugget Theatre, the Hanover movie theater: This was my first time trying movie popcorn with butter pumped on top, and it was SO. GOOD. It was perfectly salty and crispy!
IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE SPRING! Inspired by "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles, read about my first experience in the Hanover spring sun! From lounging on the Green to playing games with friends, see what Dartmouth students do in the spring!
Inspired by my fall term recap post, I wanted to share a similar recap at the end of these nine weeks of the winter term. Read on to see what I've been up to!
