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 :)
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!
It finally happened. The moment we've all been waiting for. The one that was probably mentioned in almost every "Why Dartmouth" essay. You know the one. Where ash rains across the Green, sweaters are no longer needed, even in late Autumn.
A fire.
No, not just any fire, a bonfire.
The Bonfire.
The Bonfire!
I am being 100% honest when I say the bonfire has been something I have thought about constantly ever since finding out about it. It was hard to miss while I was researching Dartmouth because almost every page I read used the Homecoming Bonfire as an example of strength and warmth (HA! Get it?) Of the Dartmouth community. But in case you haven't come across it yet, the bonfire is an annual tradition that occurs during Homecoming here at Dartmouth, where the incoming class, AKA first years, walk around a gigantic—and I mean HUGE—bonfire that they built, as older students and visiting alumni cheer them on.
Learning about the bonfire was almost like an aha moment for me because it was an event that tangibly represented the community-focused environment of Dartmouth. As someone who was looking for a school whose community would uplift me, I thought the bonfire seemed like such a wholesome and connecting event for the community. This proved to be so very true.
But because the bonfire is so famous, I was unaware it would simply be the headliner of such an exciting first Homecoming weekend for me. The campus was buzzing with excitement, school pride, and alumni who brought along their adorable dogs. My friends and I took part in homecoming crafts, bought the annual homecoming shirts, and of course, watched the football game in said shirts. It was my first time properly watching American Football, so naturally, I didn't understand a single rule, but I still had fun cheering and yelling, "Yay! A first down!" every now and then (I still don't really know how the downs work).
While I was experiencing my first football game at the Buddy Teevens Stadium, some people had been there hundreds of times. Like the class of 66', whose reunion the Decibelles, the acapella group I'm in, performed at. Being able to attend the reunion, even just for an hour, was super special. We got to talk to the alumni, many of whom are well into their eighties, and listen to them recall their favorite memories from their time at the school we all love. They said they try to host a reunion every year during Homecoming and go watch the game together since a lot of them were on the football team at Dartmouth. It was my first interaction with so many alumni, and I immediately felt the acceptance into the wider web of the Dartmouth community I know I'll have forever. I'll never forget when we closed our performance with the Dartmouth Alma Mater, and every single person in the room sang along with us. It truly felt like home.
In case I didn't already know it, Homecoming really showed me that Dartmouth's community is kind, strong, and ever-lasting. I can't wait for next year!
In just a month, I went from a complete beginner to a proficient skier, smoothly making my way down the green and blue runs at Dartmouth Skiway. Read about my journey and how I made such rapid progress!
Dartmouth's Winter Carnival is a beloved tradition that brings the community together to celebrate winter with a wide range of fun activities, from thrilling ski races to unique events like the Polar Plunge and ice sculpture carving.
