Ei! My name is Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva (yes—four last names!) and I'm a '25 from Governador Valadares, Brazil. My journey to Dartmouth has crossed two continents, three countries, and over 10 schools—and I'm a strong believer that everyone's path to the Big Green was unique in a way. At Dartmouth, I study Linguistics, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and Spanish. I am passionate about social justice, language-learning, and the oxford comma!
This class is an introduction to the Spanish minor and major courses and, although I did not expect to particularly like it, it not only turned out to be my favourite but it made me start considering a degree in the department!
In this class, we analysed different productions of Latinx American theatre. Prof. Analola Santana was probably the best person I met this year at Dartmouth. Being her student was a very important experience as I try to navigate my potential majors and minors.
In this class, I was able to carve time out of my busy Dartmouth schedule to study and learn my Indigenous language: Krenak. With the help of Prof. Gokke, all students were encouraged to develop a final project that spoke to their community's needs for language learning and revitalisation. It was an extremely important class for me, not only academically, but also for my personal healing process.
I had the honour of spending my sophomore fall in Madrid, taking part in the Spanish FSP. There, Prof. Martín was not only a great professor, responsible for my favourite lecture of the program, but also an incredible company throughout our classes and in-country trips. Great way to wrap up my Spanish minor, honestly!
This was my second class in the NAIS department, and thus it took me one step closer to wrapping up my major. Nonetheless, it was Prof. Powell's genuine charisma and caring personality that made it my favourite of the term!
This course was definitely life changing! Prof. Pochedley, a visiting post-doc of the Potawatomi nation did a great job at keeping the students engaged while teaching us to see the land we inhabit as a source of knowledge and spirituality. In a majority Indigenous classroom, we got to develop individual projects related to our traditional homelands, learning to navigate the world through Native world lenses.
Prof. Gómez is one of those profs I've always wanted to take a class with. His work with the Horror genre in Modern Spanish literatures amazes me, and it was an honour to guide in-class discussions and develop my own research on the themes of science, testimony, and fear.
LING54 is an umbrella course: the actual content of the course may vary each year, but it is the common letter-number code to refer to the course taught abroad by your accompanying Dartmouth Linguistics professor. In this year's Linguistics Foreign Study Program (FSP), LING54 was a 'Language Documentation' class, wonderfully taught by Prof. David Peterson.
Before this class, I had no idea what visual and cultural studies actually encompassed. Every chat with Prof. Broner opened my eyes to a different analysis or method for interpreting literature, and for that, I feel truly lucky! We got to discuss films made by Indigenous women from all over Latin America, exposing the class to distinct ways of interacting with and stewarding the environment.
Welcome back to my blog, folks! As a reminder, I'm Antônio, a Brazilian member of the class of 2025 studying Linguistics, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and minoring in Spanish.
As we prepare to welcome the class of 2027 to campus, I was drawn back in my memories of my own experiences getting ready to come to Hanover for the first time. It was less than a few hours after opening my admission letter that my Instagram got flooded with messages from other Brazilian students here. This, as I later found out, is a meticulously organized movement. In attempting to make sure all students feel welcomed and included at our school, many affinity groups run side operations to share their own experiences and answer any questions prospective students might have. Now, this year, as I serve as chair of outreach for the Dartmouth Brazilian Society (DBS), it was no different.
With Dartmouth's new financial aid policy for international students, we have seen an extremely diverse pool of accepted students emerge from around the world. Due to my involvement with the Admissions Office — where I work both as a blogger and as an International Student Ambassador — I have had the privilege of getting to know the wide array of opportunities Dartmouth puts together to welcome the newest class. However, it is not only on the third floor of McNutt Hall that we brainstorm how to best welcome the '27s. As a member of DBS, I have seen up close what it's like to design and implement programs that integrate and help the new class!
A good example is our weekly take-overs on Instagram, where prospective students get a taste of what day-to-day life is like on campus. Moreover, at least once a month up through September, we host a Zoom call to help admitted students interpret their financial aid letters, as well as give advice on choosing classes and navigating Dartmouth's housing system.
It is an honor to be a part of such a close-knit community as DBS, but I am also sure it is not a Brazilian-exclusive privilege. Both the Admissions Office and other affinity groups (ie. the International Student Association, the Latinx & Caribbean Council, the Dartmouth Turkish Students Association, etc) have done incredible work in yielding accepted students to our communities.
This is all to say that, no matter where you are hailing from on your way to Hanover, there will be plenty of people here to welcome you with arms open! And, more than that, please remember: you are already a part of this! You don't have to wait to be on campus to find community — we are always here to help, no matter at what point of the process :)
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!
Join me for a 5:30 A.M adventure as I hike the Gile Mountain to catch the sunrise and explore the Norwich Farmers' Market, enjoying delicious treats and a beautiful morning!
Homecoming—a time when current students and alumni gather to relive cherished memories and exhibit large amounts of school spirit. Find out how I spent my second Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth!
"Indigenous Peoples' Day Every Day!" A common phrase said within the Native Community at Dartmouth. Come and join me as I describe the Indigenous Fly-In Program offered by Dartmouth!
Sanborn Library's daily teatime offers Dartmouth students a quiet, comforting tradition to unwind with tea and cookies, creating a peaceful break from the busyness of campus life.
