Welcome!! My name is Serena and I'm a '28 from New York City. I couldn't be more excited to be here at Dartmouth and share my experiences with all of you! I know I want to explore English Literature alongside a STEM discipline. I love to run, play volleyball, hike, knit, and read books! If you want to hear about a city kid's adventures in rural New Hampshire, follow along as I experience life in the woods!
In this dynamic class, Visiting Professor Vera Kallenberg taught us a survey of Jewish history and culture from the European enlightenment to the establishment of the State of Israel while also sharing her wealth of knowledge with us! Our small, seminar-style class lent itself to profound conversations around the difficult topics that arose during our discussions. From the Haskalah to discourse around the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict, our class approached these topics with respect and care for one another. We read historical texts and fascinating personal narratives for homework, and then wove our knowledge about the past and present together in class discussions. What an incredible course!
I absolutely loved this Junior Colloquia English class taught by Professor Beckman. This small, discussion-based class is designed to prepare an English major for the type of work they will do in their Senior year. Professor Beckman is such a brilliant and kindhearted professor, and, especially as the only first-year student in that class, I really benefited from meeting with her in office hours. We read King Lear, The Alchemist, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Roaring Girl alongside various other academic papers. I left every class amazed, my brain filled to the brim with new and exciting knowledge about Renaissance literature. I loved engaging in fascinating topics and discussion in this challenging, high-level class!
In this class, we studied fascinating literature from the 18th and 19th centuries in order to explore what the novel as we know it today emerged from. We studied scandalous female libertines, rogue nuns, and other criminal female characters! We started off reading the surveillance chronicle Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, and we also read Anti-Pamela by Eliza Haywood, A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne, and Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. I loved how Professor Garrison brought every reading to life through a mix of lecture, discussion, and even a book arts workshop visit.
Shana tova! Happy New Year! The High Holidays, a period of major Jewish holidays, were really exciting and meaningful for me this year. Read on to hear why :)
Judaism is one of the most important parts of my identity. As such, I wanted to not only participate in but also create, lead, and organize meaningful Jewish experiences for myself and others during college. Last spring, I ran for and was elected to the position of co-vice president of religion at Hillel, and this has been my first term both on the exec board and as religion VP, or as I like to call it, "the Goldstein Dynasty." Me and my fellow VP of religion, Alec, share the same last name, Goldstein. I find it so funny that it took leaving NYC (where I grew up) to live in New Hampshire to meet a fellow Goldstein! That being said, I derive an immense amount of joy introducing us as the "Goldstein Dynasty" each Friday night service, Shabbat dinner, and High Holiday meal or service!
Wearing my mom's tallit made this moment extra special
It was really exciting to plan and create high holiday programs for my friends and peers this year. In particular, on Rosh Hashana I had the immense privilege of leading services for hundreds of people, including students, faculty, administrators, the president of the college, and more. Moreover, I enjoyed welcoming familiar and new faces alike onto the bima to lead a prayer with me. It was truly amazing to lead, and help others lead, services for one of the most holy days of the year.
High Holiday services were a great success this year due to high student turnout and student participation. I could tell that the work we, the religion co-chairs, and the other board members put in to reach out to students, both those involved in Jewish life on campus and those not, and invite them to High Holiday meals or services, paid off.
Kol Nidre services are jointly run and organized by Hillel and the Upper Valley Jewish Community—the local Jewish community—at the chapel on campus. During Kol Nidre, surrounded by Jewish friends, Hillel and UVJC community members, and wrapped in my tallit, I felt safe, at peace, and connected to something greater than myself. I felt spiritually grounded in this moment. Going up to the bima to lead a prayer and then returning to my seat surrounded by friends was a really special moment during this holy experience.
The warmth of a student-led community is truly one of a kind. One of my favorite memories is concluding our Rosh Hashana service by singing Adon Olam to the tune of Golden by K-pop Demon Hunters. It was definitely a huge hit with the crowd.
A reflection on how Dartmouth offers countless ways to stay connected to literature and writing—even as a side passion—through blogs, courses, campus publications, and creative communities.
