Howdy, y'all! I'm Alex, a queer and trans student from Tennessee. This year I'm involved with a lot: I'm serving as the Production Manager for the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals, acting as Social Chair for Amarna, rushing Phi Tau, giving tours on campus, exploring the offerings of the Dartmouth Outing Club, joining Farm Club, getting more involved with the O-Farm and sustainability on campus, and generally enjoying my second year here at Dartmouth!
As a theater-kid-turned-English-major who already loved Shakespeare before taking this class, highlighting this as my favorite class of the term is a no-brainer. This class is completely accessible to anyone who is has never read Shakespeare while still being an engaging class for seasoned Shakespeare enthusiast. Class time is mostly devoted to discussion of the texts, and I feel like I came out of the class with a strengthened ability to analyze the themes present in Shakespeare's works as well as a better comprehension of the nuances of language used in the plays.
Before this class, my experience on the technical side of theater was severely limited. I've been acting onstage for a decade, and even though I knew that productions would be impossible without what goes on behind the scenes, actually learning how to DO what goes on behind the scenes was another experience entirely. THEA 40 is an incredibly fun and informative class, and I can confidently say I have a much more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to make a show come together. And next term, I'll have to opportunity to apply my new knowledge and skills as Production Manager for the Rude Mechanicals, Dartmouth's student-run Shakespeare company! I can't wait!
In this class we read stage plays through various lenses. These lenses comprised a general overview of the different readings of a play necessary in order to get it from script to stage: reading as actors, writers, directors, designers, dramaturgs, etc. I had an amazing time I feel my foundation of theater knowledge has been enhanced by what I learned in this class! I've been able to apply this knowledge as I continue to read and write plays in my spare time.
I took this class to fulfill one of my distributive requirements, but it ended up being my favorite class this term. I found the readings fascinating, the lectures engaging, and the group work super enjoyable (we were assigned to stream video games a couple hours per week!). Despite the large class size (100+ students) the lectures remained engaging and the professor made sure to hold weekly office hours to get to know as many of the students as possible; he even brought donuts sometimes! Overall, if this class were a video game, I’d hit replay as soon as the credits rolled.
I can proudly say that I have been a fan of the Dartmouth Organic Farm since Day One. In fact, I signed up for Farm Club in the very first week of my freshman fall…
But I must admit that I never went because I got completely swept up in the excitement of my first term.
But now I return to you all, readers, with glorious news: I did it. I went to the O Farm this term. And I am READY to tell you all about it.
The Dartmouth Organic Farm, much like Dartmouth itself, sits on the Connecticut River. It's about a 5-10 minute drive from campus, and easily accessible by signing up for Farm Work Days or other O Farm events via the DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) website, Trailhead.
I signed up for a couple of Farm Work Days this term; this term work days were Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8-10am. Folks who signed up get a free ride to and from the O Farm, and are back on campus just in time for 10As (the Tu/Th class period from 10:10-12:00, a very popular time slot for students and professors to take and hold classes). This time worked really well with my schedule this term. Though I'm not a morning person, I loved these work days: they forced me to get up, get out into the fresh morning air, and get myself moving. They were really fun mornings, and I got to meet some great people. And do cool stuff like pick corn! And chives! Stuff I've never done before! And: (prepare yourself for a corny line, pun intended) isn't that what college is all about?
Chives and I <3
A Pizza My Heart: From Seeds to Slices
And let's be honest: mornings in the field were far from enough for me. Thankfully, Farm Club hosted weekly pizza dinners at the farm, catered by pizza-oven certified Farm club leaders making delicious pizzas in the O Farm's own wood-fired pizza oven. These pizza dinners were not only delicious but also hosted completely free of charge (music to a broke college student's ear). These events allowed us to craft our own pizzas, experiment with both store-bought AND farm-fresh toppings, and enjoy the literal fruits of our labor together.
O Farm Pizza!
Harvesting Memories at Harfest 2023
My family came up to visit me for a weekend this term, and the weekend in question was the weekend of Harfest 2023. Harfest is a Harvest Festival hosted at the Dartmouth Organic Farm each fall, and I seized the opportunity to bring them along with me to the O Farm for this event. While there, we helped ourselves to warm apple cider, freshly popped popcorn, s'mores by the campfire, and, of course, more pizza! They were sow delicious.
We explored the farm together, appreciating both the autumnal beauty and farm's charm while enjoying the food and each other's company. It was a wholesome afternoon that perfectly encapsulated the peace and joy I've harvested at the O Farm this term.
Through Dartmouth's Guarini Institute for International Study, I am getting to take classes and experience life at Wellesley College, an all-women's school!
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
