Hey there! My name is Simon and I'm a Senior (which is scary) enjoying my time here in Hanover! In addition to being a Blogger, I am a Tour Guide, I am involved with Greek Life, the German community, Performing Arts, Club Sports, and a bunch of other things on campus! I blog a lot about whatever I am interested in at the moment, and also love to use this as a place to reflect on my time at Dartmouth. I hope you enjoy my blog and let me know if you have any questions!
I came to Dartmouth as a Bio-Medical Engineering hopeful, and after my first week in class with Professor Murphy studying the classics of political philosophy, I totally changed my mind! I had never taken anything even close to a philosophy class in High School, so this was an amazing opportunity for me to be exposed to a field that I had never seen, and now love! I also loved bringing in the work I did in my other class (German 1) to this class so that I could read some of the pieces in German!
With my new found love for Political Science, I decided to take one of the biggest requirements for the major, Gov 10. I worked with Prof. Horiuchi to do a really cool research project on the effect of fake news on American voters in the US! We actually looked into getting funding to work on the research and publish it in a journal. I was pretty worried about taking a super math heavy class, but it ended up working out pretty well.
This spring in Hanover was one of my favorite terms! I had my first Green Key (which was my first concert ever) and I got to work in the admissions department with all of our visiting admitted students! I ended up hosting 6 students across the 2 weekends of "Dimensions", our admitted students weekends and ended up getting really close with a few of them. I still see them around on campus and they have hosted students of their own now!
So I did kind of a crazy thing and decided that I wanted my first time abroad to be a fully immersive home-stay study abroad with Dartmouth! I flew almost 18 hours from Hawai'i to London where I stayed with a really good friend and fellow Sophomore before jumping on a plane to Berlin. My host family and I got on immediately over our shared love of Lucky Charms, and I skype them almost once a month still! I will never forget riding down the cobblestone streets in my suburb of Berlin every morning and stopping by the Backeri to pick up a muffin on my way to class. It was such a surreal experience and something I would never have thought of doing before I came to Dartmouth. Also, fun fact, I got my first tattoo in Germany!
I took this amazing class with Susan Brison where we not only analyzed case books and took an in depth look at how the constitution is interrupted in various ways by various justices, but also had visits from law professors from all around the world! The class worked really well for me because it met twice a week during the evening, so I had time to schedule other events during the day.
Through the help of one of my academic advisors and with the information I learned in my fall law class, I was lucky enough to get an internship at a non-profit law firm in my home town! I got the call while I was sitting eating breakfast in Collis, and because I was not in school during a time when a lot of other students are, I was the only intern and the first undergraduate intern the office had ever had. I got to work with the family law unit, and really made an impact that I was happy with.
On a limb, I decided to apply for a class that looked at indigenous ways of knowing and how they proceeded or are intertwined with scientific study. During this class, I got to scrape a moose hide to make a traditional drum, learn from one of the foremost black ash basket makers in the world, and do biodiversity studies on local streams. This class was definitely one of the best I have ever taken at Dartmouth, and professor Reo is now helping with an independent study project!
Junior Fall is turning out to be a really interesting term! I am suddenly an upperclassman and starting to look at what I want to do after Dartmouth, which is a really interesting thing to pursue. I am excited to meet the '22s and do all of my favorite Fall things, but also excited to be off next term and see where my plans take me.
This Winter I am back home, working for a law firm and spending tons of time with my family! My regular day starts with breakfast with everyone, going into the firm and working on some cases from about 9:00am-2:00pm, and then heading to the beach before coming home for dinner. I am super happy to be home, studying for the LSAT and getting some work experience, but am excited to get back to Hanover.
It feels kind of weird to be back on campus because most of my friends were also gone, so its this interesting amalgamation of seeing people for the first time in 4 months but also all getting re-acquainted with the campus we know so well. I'm excited to take some classes that are a little bit different than what I would normally feel comfortable with, and I will share all about them in blogs to come. I am ready for Spring so catch me outside on the Green or in the sun as much as possible!
For the first time since Sophomore Summer all of the '20s are back which can only mean one thing, its senior year! I am so excited to watch peek foliage from inside with some nice cold apple cider. I am taking two seminar classes to finish my double major, and am excited to jump back into academics. Hopefully, the cold will stay off just long enough for me to get some good fall runs in, but I am eagerly awaiting the first snow!
Getting down to business (and staying warm) in the 1902 Room!
In honor of finals a few weeks ago, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite study spots on campus! These are just my favorites, and most of them tend to be a little more open and loud, but there are tons of different places to get some reading or work done in Hanover.
No. 1
Blobby
My number one study spot has got to be Blobby. Blobby is a made-up Dartmouth word for the lobby of our Baker library, which encompasses the front sitting room and some tables just as you enter the main entrance. Blobby is bright, has tons of windows, and is always really busy with students walking from class to class using it as a shortcut. It also houses King Arthur Flour (KAF), a local cafe, which provides students with all the necessary caffeine required for some great studying. Overall, you could find me in Blobby working on a group project, doing some reading, or just talking to friends.
No. 2
1902 Room
Hilariously enough, the 1902 Room is located right next to Blobby, but has an entirely different feel. The room is very big and open with long tables and is usually completely silent, under the watchful eye of paintings of famous College presidents and deans. I like that 1902 is so much quieter than Blobby for when I need to read or when get down to work and focus. It also has one of the closest printers in the library, so if I need to print and proofread anything, 1902 is the place I will be.
No. 3
4th Floor Fairchild
No list would be complete without one of the best views on campus: the 4th floor of the Fairchild Physical Sciences Complex. The building stands out among the beautiful brick as a tall, looming glass and concrete mammoth, but once you're inside, it feels cozy and open to the outside world. It houses, among other things, the Environmental Studies department, so I spend a lot of time there before and after my ENVS classes. The best place to study is on the 4th floor because on one side you have ceiling-to-floor views of Baker Tower through huge windows, and on the other side you get to gaze into the BEMA, which is one of the small forests on campus that students can hang out in. Find me here avoiding my work by looking off into the woods, or working on something ENVS related.
I actually shadowed there during my freshman winterim, as the deputy director is an alum and hosted a few students to visit the facilities and meet some of the people who work there.
Coming from a boarding school, I didn't get to work during the weekends. Coming into Dartmouth, I was excited at the prospect of being able to finally get into the workforce. There are many reasons why you would want to work.
It's officially 2020, and seeing as I won't be returning to Dartmouth until next September, I thought it would be fitting to reflect back on my past year (most of which was spent on-campus).
The reason I tell this story is to pretty much show that Dartmouth is somewhat of a "nerd sanctuary" — a place where people can do whatever and explore whatever passion they want.
My friends and I had a board games brunch at the dining hall, with many of the games rented from Jones Media Center. It was a highlight of the term — when else can you play Cards Against Humanity with nine friends while enjoying brunch?
Early on in my time at Dartmouth, I learned about a resource that has become instrumental to my life. The Academic Skills Center, or "ASC," is committed to helping students reach their academic goals.
Between figuring out what clubs I wanted to join, trying out for sports teams, and finding new study spots, each day looked a little different for me this fall.
This is a post for my blog but also a letter to my future self so that I can remember the strategies I used to make my first term at Dartmouth a successful one.
