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 med 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 :)
Today, I interviewed one of my favorite people at Dartmouth, my best friend, Maeve Goldman. As of now, Maeve is an intended art history major with a public policy minor and is looking to go to law school after her four years in Hanover. We met on the first night ofNew Student Orientation (NSO), making s'mores outside of Collis, and have been inseparable since! Here are some snippets from our conversation:
Apple picking Maeve!
Rika: At the risk of sounding cliché… why did you choose Dartmouth then, and more importantly, why do you continue to choose Dartmouth?
Maeve: I really wanted to go to college with a strong undergraduate focus and a tight-knit community. I always imagined forming close relations with my faculty members and peers, so it was really important for me to go to a school that valued connection. Now that I'm here, I really feel the community every day, from sitting on the green with my friends to practicing with my debate team or having a discussion with my six-person religion class. Being on the quarter system, every class is fast-paced and new, and we get to explore something different and exciting every day. This isn't only in my classes, though; the diversity of experiences happens outside the classroom as well! Just this last week, I went to an acapella show, volunteered at the local church, took a hike up Gile Mountain, and met Josh Shapiro!
Cheffing it up at Our Savior Lutheran Church!
Rika: Yeah, there really are a lot of things to do here! So Maeve, art history. Why does it interest you?
Maeve: I think art history serves as the intersection of English and history, and I really enjoy doing visual analysis. We interact with art pretty much daily, so it's important to start thinking about its purpose and how we engage with it. I'm excited to have opportunities to curate at the Dartmouth Hood Museum of Art and gain hands-on experience. I'm also super interested in the possibility of studying abroad in Italy for the Art History foreign studies program.
Rika: Now, onto the real stuff… what's your favorite on-campus meal spot?
Maeve: It's going to have to be The Fern Cafe, in theIrving Institute. Despite the fact that I'm not a STEM major, nor do I live in the River dorms, you will almost always find me there, devouring a cranberry tart and a green smoothie. I really like their açai bowls, too!
Rika: Sticking to favorites, what's your favorite study spot?
Maeve: If I'm trying to chat with my friends while somewhat doing some work, definitely First Floor Berry. It's really convenient since the printer is nearby, as well as Cafe Baker, our on-campus boba store. My friends and I usually take study breaks and grab a mango green tea boba to pick me up. But if I have a really imminent assignment, I love the East Reading Room and Sanborn Reading Room because they're super quiet and have that cool dark academia vibe!
Rika: What was the biggest thing that shocked you about Hanover?
Maeve: Honestly, just how kind everyone is! Coming from New Jersey and New York City, I'm not really used to strangers holding doors open for me or letting me pet their dogs. But in Hanover, the locals are always so friendly, and their adorable dogs prance around campus, especially on the green. Remember the other day when we saw those two dogs having a photoshoot?
Maeve and I on the green, after seeing the most perfect puppies having a photoshoot!
Rika: Yes! I do. Oh my goodness, that was so adorable. Last question: what are you most excited about next term?
Maeve: I really want to take myfirst-year seminarin Women in Journalism and maybe the Intro to Art History class. I also want to complete the polar bear plunge during Winter Carnival, and do some ice skating on Occom Pond. Oh, I have to teach you how to skate, Rika.
Rika: Yeah, I definitely need those lessons. Well, Maeve, thank you so much for speaking with me today, and now, we can transition back to watching our favorite show, The Mindy Project—written by and starring Dartmouth alum, Mindy Kaling—together :)
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
Dartmouth changed my life. A large part of that change comes from the support I have received from professors. Learn more here about some mentor-mentee relationships I have made!
In Solid Mechanics, we designed and constructed a bridge that held 10kN, around 1000kg! The process, from SOLIDWORKS design to laser cutting to gluing parts together, took us weeks, but it was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever done.
Walking around the Wellelsey campus, it's clear that it was built with intentional incorporation of the surrounding nature. The architecture of many buildings were also mindfully crafted to support Wellesley's unique principles.
