Hey! I'm excited to welcome you to my blog page! I'm Andrea Agola, a '26 born in Kenya and raised just outside of D.C. As the eldest child of three, I'm the first to go off to college! I'm glad Dartmouth will enable me to explore both the sciences and humanities. Don't even get me started on the numerous extracurriculars that pique my interest, like the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, research projects and dance groups. Follow along as I navigate this unique college experience!
Academic Program
Sociology major, International Studies Minor, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing Right Now
Studying abroad on the French LSA+ in Toulouse, France!
"Fall-tivities": Did I just make a new word to add to the already unique and long list of Dartmouth lingo? I sure did! Here are some of the activities and events that have characterized my Dartmouth fall so far.
Gile Sunrike! Sunrike is yet another word in the list of Dartmouth lingo which is just a combination of "Sunrise" and "hike." Last weekend, my friends and I decided to do the popular hike up Gile Mountain near campus to see the sunrise with a beautiful backdrop of fall foliage. Even though I wondered if we were crazy as I walked out of my dorm into the frigid morning air at 6am, I ended up finding it more than worth it. The fusion of colors from the sunrise and from the foliage was so mesmerizing (the picture doesn't do it justice!).
My friends and I during the Gile Sunrike!
Moosilauke Lodge Dinners! The Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) hosts free dinners for students every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday at the Moosilauke Ravine lodge. The Lodge is an hour drive from campus, open to the entire Dartmouth community and Upper Valley for rooms and meals. The Lodge is actually where I spent my last night during First Year Trips! Staying at the Lodge was definitely a highlight of my trip because it was fun to rejoin with several other groups after 3 days in the wilderness but mainly because the food was so good.
One Sunday, after I had been studying in my dorm for most of the day, I looked out my dorm window, saw a large beautiful tree covered in red leaves and made the last minute decision to catch the bus that takes students to the Lodge because I was craving more fall scenery and some good food. While I made new friends on the bus ride we kept stopping our conversations to "ooh and ah" at the beautiful mountainous foliage. When we arrived at the Lodge we played board games before sitting down for a dinner that was even more delicious than I expected (I still dream about the warm rosemary bread we had). It was nice to get off campus for a little bit since I've been mostly on campus since I moved in with a few trips out to places like West Lebanon (the next town over) every now and then.
Harfest! My friend and I attended the Dartmouth Organic Farm's annual Fall Festival. It was a nice event with apple cider, pumpkin painting, live music, and more. We found it relaxing to just sit on a bench, while gazing out at the foliage and the river where some people were paddling in from campus with the Ledyard Canoe Club. It was also great to eat some s'mores and catch up on how our week had been.
My view as I sat on a bench during Harfest!
Floor Water Balloon Fight! Ok, this one is definitely not a typical fall activity but was definitely one of the most fun activities I participated in this fall. My dorm floor's Undergraduate Advisor (UGA) organized a water balloon fight between our floor (Judge 4th floor!) and the French 1st floor. The basis of the "feud" was just that the French 1st floor had used our common room for a floor meeting, kicking us out of our usual space. Our UGA gave us all pieces of flair (crazy/unique clothing) and I had so much fun even though I definitely got hit a few times.
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.
