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!
Today, I interviewed one of my favorite people at Dartmouth, Jude Poirier. As of now, Jude is an intended Quantitative Social Science(QSS) major with a public policy minor and is looking to go to law school after his four years in Hanover. We met at the first School House Weekly Cafe and have been close friends since! Here are some snippets from our conversation:
Rika: At the risk of sounding cliché… why did you choose Dartmouth then, and more importantly, why do you continue to choose Dartmouth?
Jude: I initially applied to Dartmouth because I knew I wanted to go to a small liberal arts college. When I was looking at schools to commit to, Dartmouth stood out for having all of the instructional benefits of a small school while also having seemingly endless opportunities outside of the classroom. Like, the way that I can be in a small seminar for a class and then go have lunch with a notable politician is really cool.
Rika: Yeah, the opportunities really are endless! So Jude, Quantitative Social Science. What exactly is that? Why does QSS interest you?
Jude: Yeah! So, my major is super cool because I get to study some really rigorous, advanced statistical techniques, but also a core social science of my interest, which, for me, is going to be law and judicial studies. I have always loved math, but I didn't feel that a data science degree would be fulfilling for me because I think it's essential to apply math to social issues. I'm in love with the program so far!
Winter wonderland!
Rika: Now, onto the real stuff… what's your favorite on-campus meal spot?
Jude: That's a toughie. For getting meals, I do actually really like FoCo (The Class of '53 commons), which is our campus dining hall, and that might be kind of a hot take. I like the food, and the social atmosphere is amazing. There are a lot of days where I accidentally spend, like, three hours yapping in a booth with some friends when I could probably be doing something more productive. But I like it anyway!
Rika: Sticking to favorites, what's your favorite study spot?
Jude: Tower room all the way. I can't get any work done unless I'm forced to shut up and read, and I think the tower room has the coziest seats. I get annoyed that I can't eat in there, though.
Rika: You know I love the Tower Room! And we've had more than a few big "lock-in" moments in the Tower Room, haven't we? What was the biggest thing that shocked you about Hanover?
Jude: It doesn't feel as isolated as I was worried it would. I think when you come to a school in rural New Hampshire, you feel like you'll be among wheat and cows. It's not like that at all. Not only are you so busy here that you don't really have time to feel isolated but also, having Zipcars and Lebanon, White River Junction, and Norwich all so close makes it feel actually pretty chill.
Rika: I totally agree with you. I feel like people see the nature we have on campus and assume Dartmouth is miles away from civilization, but that's just not true at all. Okay, last question, Jude, what are you most excited for next term?
Jude: Well, since I'm a first-year student, I'm "off" (not taking classes) in the summer, but I'm super excited to be spending my summer in D.C. as afirst-year fellow with the Rockefeller Center, where I get to chill with like 20 other Dartmouth first-years and spend what is hopefully the first of a few off terms in D.C.
Rika: I'm so excited for you, and I can't wait to see pictures of D.C.!
As a practicing Christian, my faith has always been the foundation of my life. Coming into college, I didn't want to lose that essential part of my identity. I wanted to deepen it. That's when I found Cru — and it changed everything.
The Sri Lankan New Year falls on the 13th and 14th of April, a time for plenty of celebrations and family time. At Dartmouth, I keep these traditions with my friends and celebrate a part of home every year!
