Hey everybody! My name is Matthew, and I'm a '27 from Florida interested in majoring in Chemistry or Biology (not quite sure yet!). Outside of the classroom, I plan on being involved in Dartmouth's theatre scene and outdoor programs! In the future, I'm hoping to merge my passions for scientific discovery and teaching others by becoming a professor. I can't wait to be a part of everything Dartmouth has to offer, and I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride!
During my first term, I wanted to try something completely new—and start working on fulfilling some of the distributive requirements. Two birds with one stone, right? To accomplish this, I enrolled in the first of three introductory Chinese language courses. Taking a fun and informative class with an interesting subject matter—and a stellar professor—has made this term fantastic! I can't wait to see what's in store over the next two terms. I also have a full blog post about my first-year language experience if you're interested in learning more!
As a STEM major, I never really saw myself taking English classes while in college. However, at Dartmouth, you must take a first-year writing sequence, which can include a writing and seminar class from any department. I ended up taking the English department offering, and it was an amazing experience. I learned so much more about how storytelling works and how we can alter the presentation of a story to completely change the way it is received by an audience. I also loved the practical aspects of this class, like writing a mini-memoir story every few weeks based on a theme and getting critical feedback from my classmates. I learned a lot more about the process of storytelling, but also about myself and the way I perceive my own experiences.
This term, I ended up taking two biology classes, which is definitely a pretty big workload, but I had a great time and felt like I really lucked out with the classes I ended up in. Global Change Biology gave me the chance to learn about climate change from a biological viewpoint. We talked about a number of different climate change-related topics, and we learned about one new large climate change topic each week. This was also an R-focused class, so we spent one day a week learning new skills in the programming language and then had a fun coding assignment each week that used data we discussed in class. I felt like I learned a lot more about climate change, but I also developed a lot of R skills that are very helpful for research and other Bio classes. In combination with the ecology class I took this term, I’d say that this class helped me decide on my major once and for all!
SummerHanover, NH
I spent the summer after my first year living in an off-campus apartment in Hanover and doing full-time research in the Biology department. I also continued my work in the admissions office as a tour guide and a leader for Dartmouth Bound! It was a great summer, and if you want to learn more about my research internship, I have a blog post about it.
Every day, on the way to my Chinese class, I walk past Moore Hall. It's Dartmouth's hub for psychological and brain sciences and a common meeting place for screenings and lectures throughout the year. The gigantic window on the fourth floor is the first thing you notice walking by. I've always wondered what lay beyond that window but never built up the courage to go find out.
Until now.
Before entering the building, I was drawn to the massive solar panel outside. It's another thing in the middle of Dartmouth's campus that I've always walked past but never paid too much attention to. According to a plaque outside, the solar panel provides electricity to Moore Hall, even moving throughout the day to optimize the amount of sunlight it receives.
The solar panel and its subject.
I noticed a nice little seating area right by the entrance heading inside. I've been here before on school days en route to the printer in the basement, and this niche study spot is usually packed with students studying or waiting for their next class.
A prime weekday study spot / A prime weekend nap spot
Speaking of the basement, the Filene Auditorium, located in the basement of Moore Hall, is the place to be. Throughout the year, different clubs, organizations, and academic departments will bring in screenings of films and lectures that are often played in Filene. I came here earlier in the term for a free documentary screening, and I hope to continue taking advantage of this awesome resource whenever possible! Since I was conducting my research on a weekend, Filene was locked, but picture an auditorium with a big projector screen, and you're there.
Making my way around the first floor, I noticed some interesting rooms. One labeled "Animal Teaching Lab" piqued my interest, leading me down a research spiral into comparative medicine. I don't know for sure, but this lab might be used for research into animal models of human disease (or psychology? Seems unlikely). In truth, I have no idea what, if any, class would use this room, but I think it's wild to know that there are entire fields of science being researched at Dartmouth that I've never even heard of.
I also saw signs for an fMRI lab located in another part of the basement. I knew that there was no possible way I was going to be able to see this machine alone on a Sunday afternoon, but a little bit of digging on good old Google led me to the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center website. Dartmouth operates an fMRI scanner out of Moore Hall, which is used for everything from research to training to undergraduate honors thesis projects in the Psychology major! If any of my Psych major friends end up using it for their thesis, I'll be sure to sneak a picture and update this post.
As I headed up the stairs, I was drawn to the research posters tacked up all along the walls. This is a common feature in most of the academic buildings at Dartmouth, but in Moore Hall they came at a much higher frequency, with some walls completely covered in posters.
One wall of many.
There were also lots of paintings in different styles, including one beautiful unlabeled piece that I think might be depicting people skating on Occom Pond during winter term. Although it was a bit too warm this term to be safe, and outdoor skating was reserved for the green alone, it still makes me feel strangely nostalgic for the snow and cold weather we had just a few weeks ago.
Ah, the memories... (from three weeks ago)
I finally made it to the top floor, where I saw something that surprised me: a room with a ping pong and foosball table! Although it feels slightly out of place hidden at the top of the psychology building, I love that there are little opportunities for fun spread all around campus.
The secret ping-pong table
Finally, I arrived at the mysterious window room, and my adventure was complete. It turns out it's some type of library/small classroom hybrid, with a big communal table and shelves and shelves of psychology papers and journals lining the walls. Oh, and the giant window. I was glad I'd had the opportunity to find this room on what is quite possibly the sunniest day of term because the soft light streaming through the panes into the ornate room was truly beautiful.
Another mystery solved.
Working on this series so far has been wonderful, giving me a chance to expand my view of campus and find small pockets of joy in the everyday toil. I'm glad I got the chance to learn more about this place I see so regularly, and glad I got to know Dartmouth a little better by doing so.
A cozy spot in the window room where I finished writing this blog post.
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!
