Sydney Wuu

One of my goals for sophomore year has been to be more intentional in the ways I spend my time, and staying active with a club sport as part of the Women’s Water Polo team is a great way to relieve stress. I played water polo throughout high school, but experience is definitely not required to join the team. Around half the team came into college brand new to the sport, many swimming before but seeking a more collaborative team environment. We start practices with a swim warm-up, then move into passing, and finally drills where we practice real game situations and perhaps scrimmage. Water polo has taught me communication, critical thinking, and how to handle stressful situations gracefully. We just went down to Boston College this past weekend, where we placed second in the Women’s Collegiate Club New England/North Atlantic Divisions “A” Championship (sadly losing the final game versus BC in overtime). I try to go to the gym frequently when off season, which really helps me find a stress relief outlet as well.

I applied to this Rockefeller Center program to learn to be more comfortable with being uncomfortable, develop a deep appreciation for ambiguity, improve my cross-cultural communication, and make time in my schedule for individual reflection. I’ll be studying abroad in London this coming fall in an economics exchange program, so I want to be able to practice these skills before spending time in an unfamiliar urban capital away from Hanover, New Hampshire. The RGLP cohort meets every Monday night, enjoying catered food, guest speakers, and ample time for discussion in small table groups. During Week 2, we head to Boston for a weekend trip which you can learn more about here! Last session, our workshop allowed us to try out Capoeira, a high-energy type of Brazilian martial art that blends elements of dance, music, and acrobatics. It was a super exciting time building our group’s aché, or powerful energy and fighting spirit, as we played with the new interstruments, learned the lyrics, and danced with partners and the larger group in a circle.

I try to read the news in the form of the Morning Brew, a daily email newsletter, every morning before eating breakfast at FoCo, Dartmouth’s main dining hall. My friend Ningning also loves to eat breakfast, so we usually plan to meet up at 9:20 a.m., before my 10:10 a.m. classes, each morning. I love when FoCo has watermelon in the fruit bar and you also can’t go wrong with a classic bagel and cream cheese—such a refreshing and yummy start to the day! I used to rarely get breakfast at FoCo during my freshman year, but have found that eating three meals a day definitely makes me more productive and energetic. I’m so glad I have an amazing breakfast buddy to chat with before heading to class too.