Aloha to the page of a wanderlusting writer juggling college life and several other hobbies into an eternally-short 24-hour day. I hope to shed light on the Dartmouth experience as I explore the brave new world of Hanover, NH and everything going to college here has to offer. In my free time, you can find me trying to learn a new language or building the perfect Spotify playlist (alternative/indie, anyone?). I hope you enjoy!
Taught by Gordon Henry, an Anishinaabe poet and author, this class taught me to explore Indigenous storytelling within digital contexts. I took this class with only seven other classmates, allowing us to really engage with films, comic books, and television shows in Indigenous languages or produced by Indigenous artists.
Taught by Timothy Pulju, this class taught me how to identify and understand how languages evolve over time and why. I analyzed and reconstructed fictional languages of imaginary nations in order to understand the link between language and culture, and ended up having such an appreciation for the complexity and beauty of language's place in history!
Taught by Lindsay Whaley, this class let me discover a newfound love for ancient apocalyptic literature. We analyzed ancient texts and compared them to modern apocalypses, looking at the zombie apocalypse phenomenon and other apocalypses in pop culture and comparing them to the ancient tradition of writing apocalypses. Additionally, I learned the Greek alphabet and now I can even stumble through ancient Greek passages.
FallNew Orleans, LA
Favorite Class: Native American Literature and the Law
Taught and organized by David Peterson, this class let me get into the shoes of a real linguist as we did fieldwork (virtually!!) with the Zophei language. I learned how to describe a never-before-learned language's phonology (sound system), how to characterize its grammar and words, and ultimately got to present my research to experts in the language family around the world in a workshop at the end of the term!
WinterHanover, NH
Favorite Class: Native American Literature and the Law
Taught by N. Bruce Duthu, this class taught me how Native literature can provide lens by which to evaluate, critique, and ultimately revise Federal Indian Law. During this class, I read works by Native authors like Tommy Orange and Louise Erdrich '76 alongside the opinions of definitive case opinions in American law and explained how literature can be a catalyst for Indigenous sovereignty.
Supervised by N. Bruce Duthu, I spent this off-term performing research after being awarded a Sophomore Research Scholarship to study contemporary Hawaiian cultural and linguistic revitalization. I studied 19th-century newspapers and contemporary Hawaiian texts in order to understand how Hawaiian language revitalization both past and present has advanced and continues to enable a contemporary bodied Hawaiian politic of sovereignty.
Taught by Laura McPherson, this class taught me about how languages create meaning through words. During this class, I learned how to analyze different languages' morphological processes and compare different approaches within the field as to morphological structures.
Taught by N. Bruce Duthu, this class offered me a glimpse into the lived realities of Native people in Indian Country Today. I learned about the economic, social, cultural, and historical roots for the struggles of Indigenous people today within the United States, and was able to write about the contemporary battle for Native Hawaiian visibility and Hawaiian sovereignty.
Taught by Laura McPherson, this class taught me how to engage in language documentation and how, as a linguist, we can put our skills to use to help communities seeking to document and revitalize their languages. I worked on the Satawalese language, spoken on the island of Satawal in the Federated States of Micronesia. Ultimately, my team created two dictionaries - one in English, one in Hawaiian, a website, and several materials that focused on the Satawalese tradition of wayfinding and non-instrumental ocean navigation.
Taught by Charles Eastman fellow Sunaina Kale, this class taught me about the role of sound in delineating, conceiving, and comprehending relations between people and the land in Indigenous musical traditions. Over the course of the class, we discussed Indigenous musicians, listened to music from Native peoples around the world, heard from masterful Indigenous musicians, and ultimately presented a project that creatively analyzed a song of our choice. My project focused on the song "Ask Yourself" by Foster the People, and I wrote a poem that integrated aspects of Indigenous languages and worldviews to answer questions posed by the song.
This term, I formally began the research process for my upcoming honors thesis in the Linguistics department on Hawaiian semantics! While living in Hanover, I also began working as a Senior Fellow with the Admissions department—a position I will be holding for the entirety of my last year at Dartmouth.
Not the walking around a room kind—more like the leave-room-for-chill-vibes-in-your-life kind.
The phrase "work hard, play hard" is epitomized by Dartmouth. We have a pretty cool Latin motto, but if we ever decided on English, that phrase would have my vote. Dartmouth students are total grinders, but the other thing that Dartmouth students, in my humble opinion, know better than anything else is how to relax. Whether this means going on a hike, a jog through the woods, a quick gym sesh, or simply some form of creative expression, Dartmouth understands the importance of taking a break.
The D-Plan at Dartmouth provides a very different remix to the college experience. Dartmouth students are enrolled in Dartmouth's academic terms, which are quarters named after the seasons. Whereas most schools have two semesters, a Dartmouth academic year often looks like a combination of three seasons, the usual being Fall, Winter, and Spring (which is required for every Dartmouth student, in addition to Sophomore Summer).
For each term, Dartmouth students take about three classes. Which classes these are depend entirely on your own academic interests and other requirements, but often you have an incredible degree of freedom selecting courses and it's always a fun ride. Choosing when to take classes for your major, or minor, or when to study abroad, or when to do an internship is all a matter of your own plans. The best way to find balance is to be well-versed in what can only be described as the art of pacing.
Pacing in the big picture sense is all about timing when to do what, but what's even more important in my opinion is pacing yourself in the day-to-day. Especially in a virtual setting, I've noticed how easy it is to feel exhausted by the pace of online school. It's very important to recognize that time spent off-screen is equally as important to your livelihood as screen time. Academic and work demands aside, it's incredible how rejuvenating and relaxing some brief moments spent doing something totally unrelated to school expectations can be. Prospective students, this is a reminder from your very own Dartmouth student blogger to remember pacing. It's application season, the next few months are gonna be packed, but nothing is more important than preventing burnout by giving your brain time to destress. My cover picture is a sick view I managed to capture in between a research paper and a computer science exam. The time investment? So worth it.
Doing something else as part of pacing seems counterintuitive at first glance, but the reality is that investing even just a little time into something for your well-being is simultaneously being productive while also performing something of a stretch for the soul. I know that most of you guys probably have some super cool hobbies you've put on the backburner — give some attention back to those things! I promise that your hobbies are not only super valid extracurriculars, but additionally are some of the best ways to connect with Dartmouth students and organizations on campus.
While being in New Orleans for our virtual fall, away from The Hop's grill and FoCo's glorious buffet, it's been a great exercise in cooking, which is something I used to be pretty invested in before Dartmouth. My friends and I have made some amazing meals, and it's actually been such a good time. Here's a picture of sushi we made to both save money and procrastinate our classes.
Doesn't this look incredible? We are simply the best chefs, enough said
That being said, the most important tip I can give you guys with great application to adjusting to college life is figuring out your best method of destressing. If you can figure that out before you're on campus, not only will you find an amazing community of people to share your favorite things with, but you'll be so prepared to battle stress on your own terms. Wish you guys nothing but the best, and see you soon!!
Academics can be challenging at Dartmouth. But there are lots of groups across campus here to support you through your academic journey. Read on for my experience asking for help and a few organizations that might be helpful to you!
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
