Hello, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. On campus, I enjoy writing sports for The Dartmouth, going on as many DOC trips as I can, and hanging out with my friends. I also love Woccoming, doing the daily NYT mini crossword, and paddling!
I took this class as part of Dartmouth's first year writing requirement. We read a pro cyclist's life narrative, discussed research papers on controversial topics in sports, and wrote our own papers on a contentious sports technology of our choice. I really enjoyed this course's emphasis on discussion, and the small class size!
This was my first class in the classics department, which was super exciting as a classical studies major! We learned about the ancient Olympics and the connections between athletics and other aspects of ancient Greek society. I loved the final project in this class, which involved creating an argument about how the ancient pentathlon was scored!
To conclude my language requirement, I took Latin 3! This class was super exciting because we began to read ancient texts and poetry. We also took a class trip to the Rauner Special Collections library so we could physically handle and read some manuscripts. And as an added bonus, Latin counts as a prerequisite for my classical studies major!
As a part of my language study abroad in Italy, I also took a class on Italian history and culture! We went on field trips to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, participated in walking tours of Rome, and watched a lot of great cinema in this class! I loved it so much that I decided to minor in Italian.
This class, in addition to being a pre-requisite for both my major and my spring study abroad, was super interesting! I loved learning about archaeology in a chronological sequence, and I feel so much more prepared for my trip to Greece after completing this class.
I'm a firm believer in trying new things and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone–as evidenced by my decision to attend Dartmouth and most of my extracurricular activities here.
Last term, as I looked forward to my first winter in Hanover, I knew I wanted to try a new seasonal activity. I did some research and asked around, and I settled on something I was really excited about: skiing.
Before coming to Dartmouth, I had never skied. I don't think I had ever seen a skiway before. Despite that, I found myself in line in Leverone Field House on a Thursday night with a few of my friends, waiting to sign up for ski lessons together.
We chose a timeslot, got fitted for poles and our boots, and were sent off with armfuls of equipment. Thanks to Dartmouth's incredible financial support for students, the only costs to me were the goggles and a Skiway pass–and I would be earning a P.E. credit too!
To be honest, over Winterim I began to forget that I had signed up for lessons. It wasn't until I got back to campus and my work picked up that I remembered my Sunday morning's would soon be occupied by a snowy excursion to the Dartmouth Skiway.
I wish I would have filmed the first week. My friends and I were all brand new to skiing, and we had an amazing time flailing around, trying to pop into our bindings, and prevent ourselves (and each other) from falling over on the flat ground at the base of the bunny hill. We've all improved at different paces, which has also been fun to witness. Some of my friends have been taking the Skiway bus as often as they can to get more time on the slopes, and some others (including me) have just enjoyed our weekly 2-hour time slot.
Every Sunday, at 8:45 AM, I meet up with some of my friends at FoCo (Class of 1953 Commons) for breakfast. This admittedly very simple routine is something I look forward to every week, because I love catching up with my friends and hearing all about what they got up to in the past week. The coffee really helps with our morning ski lessons, too!
After breakfast, we all trudge in our ski pants to the bus, which is free and runs directly to the Skiway. We have fun on the bus, too–like singing along to our favorite songs, or making plans for our afternoons post-lesson.
The actual skiing isn't exactly my thing. But that's okay. I'm trying something different with friends and learning a lot about myself along the way. The Dartmouth skiing instructors are kind, helpful, and patient, and I think it's been fun to see some of my friends take on that leadership role.
If you're thinking about trying something new, like skiing, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Even if you don't fall in love with the activity, it's still a great idea to expand your comfort zone. And you never know–you might make some new friends (or get closer with existing ones) along the way, too
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
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!
