Matthew Monroe

Friendterviews: Extracurriculars

Recently, I've been delving deep into a variety of experiences at Dartmouth, both relating to school and extracurriculars. With our first invitational for Mock Trial coming up in less than a month (expect a very in-depth post in November ;) ), I've spent a lot of time the past few weeks working with my team to build our case. But it got me thinking. There are so many different extracurriculars that Dartmouth has to offer, and I've only had time to be involved with a few. What's it like being a part of the many other teams, groups, and sports around campus? This week, I interviewed a few of my friends to learn more about their extracurricular involvements.

Jahaan: Fencing

Tell me about the Fencing Club at Dartmouth. What does the team do?

We practice several times a week with the whole team and also compete in tournaments in the Spring and Fall. Right now, we're preparing for a big tournament that happens towards the end of the fall term.

I know you have a lot of previous experience with fencing. Is that true for everyone in the club?

No, the club is open to anyone of any level! Even if you've never fenced before, you'll be able to learn through coaching and practice! It's super fun, and I'd encourage anyone who is interested to join, whether or not they've tried fencing before.

Speaking of coaching, what happens at an average practice session?
First, we warm up and stretch. Then we practice drills where we learn foot-work and blade-work skills, and then we get to fence!

And finally, what's the thing you love most about fencing at Dartmouth

Getting to meet new people and hang out with friends in a fun environment (while playing tag with metal sticks)

Sean: Debate

You're a part of the Policy Debate Team here at Dartmouth. Could you give an overview of what the Debate Team does?

We're given a topic that we spend the whole year researching as a team. Over the course of the school year, we will visit 7 or 8 tournaments where we compete against other schools in debating one side of the issue. We have to switch which side we argue for depending on the match, so we have to prepare both sides of the argument, which lets us look really deep into whichever issue we are debating.

What's the topic for debate this year?

Reducing the role of nuclear weapons. Right now, we're looking into different strategies and figuring out how to frame our arguments.

How did you get involved with debate at Dartmouth? Did you have to try out?

Debate was one of my main interests in high school, and I wanted to be able to continue it in college. You don't have to have previous experience to join debate, though. The team is open to campus, and if you're interested but haven't debated before, you can learn through team training!

What's the thing that you love most about debate at Dartmouth?

I love the community! I've met some of my best friends in the world through debate. You also get to talk really fast, which is a lot of fun.

Daniel: Model United Nations

I know that MUN has a lot of different roles for team members. What is your role on the MUN team?

This term, I'm directing a committee for MUN. That basically means I'm working with a few of my teammates to come up with a topic and organize a committee for competition.

Which MUN event are you looking forward to the most this year?

We send a travel team out during winter term to compete against other colleges. The prospect of that is exciting, but I'm most excited about a conference next term that's happening in Montreal!

Since MUN is a closed club with a tryout, do you have to have previous experience to join?
No! You just have to be passionate about Model UN! I think having a lot of experience is useless if you don't actually care about the activity, and I definitely think anyone who has a genuine interest will do well on the MUN team.

What's the thing that you love most about MUN at Dartmouth?

I love MUN because you can create world peace or cause armageddon, all in the span of a single session.