你好! Or Hi! My name is Taylor, and I'm a '27 from Beijing, China. I'm hoping to major in Mathematics and minor in Religion. Outside of the classroom, you can find me going on hikes with the Dartmouth Outing Club, drawing or crafting at the jewelry studio, or having fun, philosophical conversations with friends!
Coming to Dartmouth with a solid background in French (Delf B2), I find French 3 a perfect fit for me -- it helps me to consolidate a lot of key grammar and vocabs, and fun weekly cultural activities like coffee hours and french lunch table offers me chances to relax in busy times. While the class is very rigorous and requires a lot of hard work, my professor is so nice and makes the class very fun! I also look forward to going to Dartmouth's Toulouse LSA program after completion of this class!
This course explores how Buddhist concepts of embodiment affect daily life and society in Southeast Asian contexts, and how the intersection of religion, sexuality, and gender impact broader understandings of authority, wisdom, beauty, death, and loyalty. The class takes on many forms beyond mere lectures -- a visit to the Hood Museum of Art, mindfulness practices, and small Buddha-crafting projects. Our professor (the sweetest Prof. MK Long) also invites many of her colleagues at other institutes as guest lecturers to our class so that we can learn from real experts specializing in different countries in Southeast Asia. I have learned a lot from the class and decided to become a religion major after this course!
Having never enjoyed math classes before college, I'm surprised (again) by how I'm becoming a math major and falling in love with math here! My professor (Prof. Shu Longmei, who graduated from the best university in my hometown) is incredibly good at teaching the concepts -- not just explaining things clearly but also showing us the beauty and elegance of calculus. I really look forward to taking more math classes in the future!
SummerVietnam & Beijing, China
I first visited pagodas in Vietnam for a couple of weeks and had days of conversations with monastics! Then, I returned home to savor time spent with my family and old friends, focus on my mental and physical health, and study and work a bit.
This is a really fun and engaging class taught by an award-winning professor. The mini-ethnography assignments provide a lot of hands-on experience in conducting fieldwork, making the methods we study feel real and applicable. From participant observation to interviews and field note coding, this course offers an immersive introduction to ethnographic research on religion. Plus, the discussions on research ethics and methodology are both thought-provoking and relevant, making this an incredibly useful class for anyone interested in studying contemporary religious communities through direct engagement.
This class is incredibly interesting because it feels like traveling through time—from the philosophical foundations of Laozi and Zhuangzi to medieval Daoist traditions and contemporary practices in northern and southern China and Taiwan. Even as a Chinese student, I’m realizing how much there is to learn, not just about Daoism but also about the broader religious landscape and practices in China.
How Dartmouth Students Spend Their Winterim? Part 2: The Machine Shop
Over the winterim, my friend Muneeb, another sophomore, spent two weeks as a TA at the Machine Shop before heading back home.
What led you to join the Machine Shop?
"I've always had a passion for working with my hands, whether it's knitting or robotics. Although I had heard about the Dartmouth Engineering Machine Shop (MShop) before, it wasn't until spring break that a friend who works there encouraged me to check it out. I reached out the first week of spring, and soon after, they offered me a position as a Teaching Assistant (TA). The MShop is located in the basement of Thayer, near Irving (and the Fern!), where many of us TAs often take our lunch breaks."
What is the Machine Shop?
"The MShop is home to a vibrant community of around 30 TAs and 6 Teaching Instructors (TIs) who assist students and researchers in creating projects. We use a variety of equipment, including bandsaws, mills, and lathes, to subtractively machine materials according to precise specifications. The shop is also an integral part of Thayer's hands-on courses, such as ENGS 21, in which students design solutions to real-world problems."
What do you do on a daily basis?
"As a TA, my days typically involve learning to operate machinery (yes, we get paid to learn!), assisting others in the shop, or helping with maintenance and cleaning tasks. The MShop fosters a close-knit community, and many of us grow deeply attached to the place. Learning to use the machines takes time—getting certified on the mill, for example, takes about 40 hours—so once you start, it's hard to leave. If you love engineering and getting your hands dirty, the MShop is definitely the place for you!"
Dartmouth professors truly make all the difference, especially when you have the opportunity to take them out to lunch and get to know them outside of the classroom. Read about my Differential Equations professor Professor Robert Dougherty Bliss.
