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.
3 Things I Wish I'd Known As a Prospective Student
Over the past year, I've talked a lot with prospective students or otherwise interested people about Dartmouth, and in doing so I've managed to get back into my state of mind as a high school senior applying to schools. Picking a college is a big deal, but I have to say that if I knew what I do now about everything, I'd still pick Dartmouth a dozen times over.
When I made my college decision, I was very decisively Team Dartmouth, but I would've made my decision much quicker had I known a few things. My biggest concerns about Dartmouth were relegated to a few typical college anxieties: meeting people, imposter syndrome, and Greek life. It wouldn't be hyperbole to suggest that we all experience these anxieties, but it took a little bit before I gained the answers I needed about college life to give me peace of mind.
A lot of prospective students have asked me if I think Dartmouth is "cliquey." When you think cliquey, do you think of The Breakfast Club? Or maybe Mean Girls? Or truly maybe just every high school coming-of-age film ever? Dartmouth couldn't be further from that, for a number of reasons but namely the truth that Dartmouth students are passionate and therefore passionately involved. Being cliquey would mean that Dartmouth students don't move away from their passions, but I've never met someone that isn't involved across a spectrum of activities. It isn't uncommon to meet a senior who's an editor for a publication, a member of a Greek life organization, a diehard a cappella group member, and a stand-up comedian on Friday nights. I would say being diversely engaged is the norm. I met so many people so quickly during my first term at Dartmouth that I couldn't imagine feeling relegated to just one friend group. Simply impossible.
Imposter syndrome is a very real experience, and being surrounded by so many superstars can definitely feel intimidating at first and have you doubting your own abilities. The most important thing to realize is that in the same way that every Dartmouth student is passionate about something, everyone I've met has such a unique skillset and perspective to provide to any given project or discussion. If you're accepted to Dartmouth, you belong at Dartmouth for a number of possible reasons but mostly just one: you are enough. Don't let Dartmouth or any other college let you forget where you've come from and what you know.
The final question mark for me about Dartmouth was Greek life, largely because I didn't know what to expect. When I arrived at campus, a lot of my anxiety about Greek life vanished almost instantly because of how differently Greek life was realized at Dartmouth compared to institutions that my friends were enrolled in. The people I met that were pledged members of a Greek life organization were indistinguishable from other Dartmouth students and hardly matched up the picture of frat guys and sorority girls that saturate American media. Additionally, I was so blown away by the amount of events these Greek life organizations hosted that were open to all Dartmouth students. I also never felt pressured to engage with the Greek scene to find meaningful social activities nor did I see Greek life as "the only social scene." If I had known Greek life played a very optional role in one's Dartmouth career, I would have been so much more confident in my fit with Dartmouth (which I now know is perfect).
Pre-college anxiety is a universal feeling, but these are just my takes on a few of my biggest anxieties before attending Dartmouth that I feel like have been shared by a lot of interested prospective students. If I knew what I know now during the time the picture for this post was taken, I would've never doubted that Dartmouth is the place for me. When you get here, you'll see what I mean. Until next time.
Learn about the different programs Dartmouth offers prospective students to explore campus life, learn about Dartmouth, and enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to Hanover!
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!
