Hi everyone! I'm Tess, and I live in a town 30 minutes outside of London called Sevenoaks. I'm super excited to be starting at Dartmouth and experiencing all the traditions and events that I read about from this blog. I love to do many things, including learning Chinese, playing the cello, and writing for this blog. A highlight so far has been the sunrike at Moosilauke Lodge – I hope to participate in many more!
On move-in day, we were introduced to Dartmouth, our residence halls, and finally, our housing communities. There are six of them—Allen, East Wheelock, North Park, School, South, and West House. My house is School House, arguably the greatest one of all (also, our light blue is the best color). The houses are a way to create community through different activities and shared living spaces. Throughout the four years, anyone I will be rooming with, as well as everyone in my building, will be in School House. From weekly teas to boat cruises, School House programming allows us to connect with fellow students.
Recently, School House first-years were invited to go on a boat cruise and dinner. We were dropped off at Lake Sunapee, about 45 minutes away from campus, and a boat was waiting for us. As we walked along the dock, we could see the lake stretched out in front of us. It was peaceful, with houses dotting the shores, and a lighthouse in the distance. For a couple of hours, we sailed around the lake, with the captain pointing out landmarks, one of which was Steven Tyler of Aerosmith's house! It was a great opportunity to bond with other members of School House, and the delicious dinner was an added bonus. Watching the sunset on the lake was gorgeous—we made sure to get many pictures.
our dinner destination
Another weekend activity was a trip to Riverview Farmto apple pick. I learned about all the varieties of apples (my personal favorite is 'Honeycrisp'), and picked many to bring back to my roommates. We also tried navigating the corn maze. This activity was a bit too challenging for us—we ended up having to come out via the entrance since we were just walking in circles. After we had picked as many apples as we could carry, we headed toMac's MapleFall Festival, where we indulged in maple ice cream and maple donuts. What a delicious day!
reaching the highest apples
Another aspect of the housing system is intramural sports. Our two main sports are soccer and pickleball. So far, the School House soccer team is unbeaten, beating Allen House 7-0 and South House 7-2. Pickleball is also very popular. IM sports are a good way to get involved in a low-commitment, low-pressure way. Matches are once a week, and there are no practices.
Every Wednesday, my friends and I go to School House teas, where we eat a wonderful combination of sushi, chips, and croissants, and talk with other members of our community.
What makes these activities truly special is that they are open to everyone, and we all look forward to participating in them. Many events are so popular that they often have waitlists, showing the enthusiasm of our community. Every week, we receive a School House newsletter, packed with details on upcoming events and resources for academic and social support. Go School House!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
