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!
Today, I took advantage of the Undergraduate Dean's Office's "Take a Faculty Member Out to Lunch" program and enjoyed a lovely meal with Professor Rosario. The program aims to strengthen the student-to-professor relationship by providing us each with a $30 voucher to spend at our dining hall or Pine—Hanover Inn's sit-down restaurant.
Professor Rosario was the instructor forWGSS 1: Intersections, which is an introduction to Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies course. I took the class last term, in the fall, but decided to invite her for lunch to reconnect with her this term. As a professor who mainly teaches in the philosophy department, Professor Rosario makes insightful and thought-provoking comments that always leave me yearning to hear more. As a first-year student who had never taken a gender studies class before, I was nervous to dive into pages and pages of feminist theory and intersectional research. However, Professor Rosario's deep knowledge and kindness taught me how to manage readings and coursework, which was monumental for my first term at Dartmouth.
Pine's interior
At Pine, I ordered a chicken and baby greens salad, Professor Rosario ordered the Szechuan green beans, and we got the truffle fries to share. As we waited for our food, we caught up on how our terms had been so far. I told her about the sociology class I'm currently taking (SOCY 62: Love, Romance, Intimacy, and Dating) and let her know that the crucial reading and analysis skills that I acquired in her course were being utilized in my courses this term class. This winter, Professor Rosario is teaching two philosophy classes: PHIL 1.18: The Self in Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience and PHIL 9.06: Friends, Lovers, and Comrades - Ethical Issues of Special Relationships. We talked about some of the fascinating topics she's recently lectured on, like the importance of daydreaming, which I found particularly interesting. She explained how the recent phenomenon of being addicted to external stimuli provided by technology can prevent people from being able to unsolicitedly form thoughts; some people, when not mentally stimulated, claim that their minds are blank. She then explained how reading fiction books that don't have on-screen adaptations is key to strengthening your mind's ability to spontaneously conjure up thought, as it forces the brain to imagine and create worlds on its own.
Pine is located right at the entrance of Main Street!
Throughout our meal, we talked about various topics, from next term's class schedules, future plans, biggest fears, and religion. I was reminded of how much I enjoyed listening to Professor Rosario's insights because before I knew it, over two hours had passed, and I had to get going to my next class. Even though she is not my professor this term, I'm so glad I was able to still chat with her and continue my relationship with her!
Thank you, Professor Rosario, for an incredible conversation and the Undergraduate Deans Office for a lovely lunch at Pine!
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!
From meeting some of my best friends to sitting in classes and exploring new parts of campus, read on to see how Dimensions got me excited for college!
