Hello, 你好, and Bonjour! My name is Tao; I'm from New York City, and I'm a proud first-generation student. I'm currently interested in studying applied math and learning a new language (French, with the intent of studying abroad using my D-Plan!) at Dartmouth. I love being immersed at campus–especially aesthetic Woccoms, fookie grubs at FOCO, and Baker-Berry Tower Room study sessions. Come one, come all: let me take you along!
Academic Program
Mathematics and Quantitative Social Science with a minor in French
As the name describes, this class taught me all about food! While the class is centered on teaching academic writing skills, I have definitely learned a lot about fun topics like food diversity, ethical farming, and culinary significances. For my final project, I got to write about how sauces relates to our society!
Okay, full honesty: I'm not usually a wake-up-early kind of person. But when my friend Ojas asked me to go with him to the first farmer's market of the season, I somehow convinced myself to roll out of bed early. And thank goodness I did—because it gets busy fast, and the good stuff goes quickly.
On our way, we jammed to Noah Kahan's "All My Love" (New England essential)
We got here super early. That said, I was not prepared for the spring weather—the aftermath of a week of heavy rain (it had been raining for the whole week!). The entire field had basically turned into mud soup. And what did I wear? Clogs. CLOOOOGS!!!I definitely missed the text memo on footwear. I slipped around and got a bit of mud on my joggers. But I was so distracted that I didn't even notice until after I got back. Anyways, the market was in full swing—rows of colorful stands with fresh produce, maple syrup, artisan cheeses, grilled cheese sizzling on a griddle, samosas that made your mouth water from three stalls away, and crusty loaves of bread still warm from the oven. We didn't hold back. Ojas and I went from stand to stand like we were on a mission—sampling, sharing, and basically eating our way through the whole thing.
Our ratings on the stands:
1. Samosa Stand 7.5/10 (Flavors: Spicy Chicken, Vermont Steak and Potato)
We love Samosa, but because it got cold really quickly with the cold weather, it wasn't as crispy. That being said, the filling was absolutely amazing. The steak and chicken were perfectly seasoned, and there was even a little bit of cheese pull!
2. Caribbean Jerk-Chicken Rice Platter 9/10
This was our main course. The chicken was perfectly cooked. The meat fell right off, paired with a flavorful punch from the coleslaw salad and a warm hug from the hot rice and beans. This was our favorite, but we thought the rice could have been a bit saltier to complement the chicken.
3. Abracadabra Coffee Co. (Chai Latte: 7/10 | "Easy Duz It" – Cold Brew and Chocolate Milk: 9/10)
We thought we needed a drink to wash it all down, so we got coffee! The chocolate milk, with cold brew, had the perfect kick to it, and it definitely woke me up. The chai was good—just sweet enough, but it didn't have the spice and flavor we were expecting.
4. Sweet Rowen Farmstead (10/10) (Assortment of Cheese and Dips)
This stand is a gem. If you are around Upper Valley, please try their feta cheese and their sun-dried tomato and garlic dips! I bought a tub of it back with me on campus because both the cheese and the dips were so rich and creamy! The best part is that it's all locally produced.
And just when we thought we were done? We made a pit stop at King Arthur Flour (KAF) Baking Company, which was just 3 minutes away, a.k.a. the baking heaven behind so many of Dartmouth's best desserts. Seriously—if you've ever had an almond-cloud cookie or warm sea salt dark chocolate pistachio cookies fromThe Fern, one of the campus cafes, it came from KAF, a local partner with Dartmouth Dining. Their bakery smells like butter, sugar, and pure joy.
We thought we'd sit outside by the blooming magnolia trees and have some dessert! We got Strawberry Cream Puffs with Rose-flavored filling, sea-salt pistachio cookies, and the legendary Almond Cloud cookies (they're so soft, seriously!).
When I came back, my socks were damp, and my clogs may never recover from the mud. But honestly? Worth it. The Norwich farmer's market is back, and so are small, lovely opportunities to explore the Upper Valley.
The Fourth of July: a federal holiday usually spent over summer break with family and friends. Not this year, though! As a result of sophomore summer, I spent this holiday with my friends at Dartmouth.
Despite Dartmouth being on the periphery of the broader Northeast region, its access to major transportation hubs makes travel stress-free. But, how can students without a car see the rest of New England?
