Hey! I'm Owen from Hollywood, Florida and I'm a '24. My favorite activities are listening to music, running, and reading the same books over and over again. I'm an Earth Science modified with Physics major and Biology minor who loves "The New Yorker," the outdoors, and reading. On campus, I'm involved with hydrological research, the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, Hillel, Greek Life, and—obviously—this blog!
Academic Program
Major in Earth Science modified with Physics & a Minor in Biology
A freshman-only introductory biology class taught by an amazing professor who's super invested and wants students to make friends and develop a love of cell biology.
A really cool introductory Earth Science course that taught the basics of geology, Earth history, and paleontology: all in one super accessible course.
This class taught us the basics of the R programming language in order to use it to analyze real-life hydrologic data. In class, we got to analyze datasets about rain, river discharge, flooding, and acid rain, using only the skills we gained from this course with no prerequisites.
This discussion-based geography class was my first interaction with the Geography Department, which other students have been raving to me about. The class, which is cross-listed with African-American Studies, analyzes how locations shape black embodiment and identity. Super cool stuff!
Skating at Occom: The Quintessential Dartmouth Activity
Despite the frigid weather, there are still so many ways to access the outdoors during winter at Dartmouth, whether sledding, cross-country skiing, or ice skating. Over the weekend, my friends and I decided to walk to Occom Pond for some ice skating. Approximately half a mile from campus, Occom Pond has always been one of my favorite spots in Hanover—with beautiful views regardless of season—so it was really exciting to be able to skate on it.
Once close to Occom, we stopped at the Cross-Country Ski Center to rent our free ice skates, then headed off onto the ice. While I'm definitely not the best at skating, I kind of figured it out with lots of help from my friends (and a little bit of Googling). As soon as I was stable, my friends headed off to grab hockey sticks and a puck to pass around for a little bit of competition.
My attempt at playing hockey!
Beyond the obvious, the idea of skating on top of a body of water has a lot of novelty for me as a Floridian. Since ponds never freeze in Florida, being able to skate on fresh water was really new and exciting—I felt like I was seeing a whole new side of Occom and also having a very New England-y experience.
While Occom was super busy, it was nice to see so many happy people—whether Dartmouth students or members of the greater Hanover community. As students, we're prone to getting stuck between schoolwork and classes, especially during winter, so it was really refreshing to see so much of the local community at Occom!
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
As a second-year at Dartmouth, I've embraced leadership roles that foster community, creativity, and support! Here's a look at how each role has shaped my journey.
