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've said this before and I'll say it again—these are my favorite blog posts to write and to revisit. As I pack my bags for one of the final experiences of my Dartmouth Italian study abroad program, a week-long language pledge homestay (more details on this soon!), I keep finding myself thinking about the upcoming term.
Classes
Next term, I'm really focusing on my Classical Studies major! I'll be taking Latin 10.01 (The Landscapes of Latin Literature), Classics 6 (Introduction to Classical Archaeology), and Classics 11.19 (Before Billboards and Twitter: Coins as Text). I'm especially excited for Classics 11, because it's a hands-on class! My fellow classmates and I will be able to learn from the Hood Museum of Art's collection and prepare for a real coin installation in the museum. I can't wait to share more in a future blog post!
I first saw ancient coins at the Hood during my Latin 2 class, and I've wanted to go back ever since!
A tough decision I had to make while electing courses for this term was whether I wanted to continue my study of Italian from my summer study abroad program or jump back into Latin. I ultimately decided to return to studying Latin, because it works better with my major plan and I really miss the language. Additionally, I will still be able to participate in Italian department programs to keep up on my studies!
Extracurriculars
Although I have absolutely loved my summer abroad in Rome, I really miss campus and all of the organizations and clubs I participate in there! This fall, I hope to deepen my involvement in a few activities that I really enjoy, since I won't be on campus until sophomore summer.
My role in Dartmouth Civics, an organization for voting and civic engagement, will be increased because of the presidential election, but also because I recently accepted the position of Membership Director for 24F. I'm excited to step into this new role and do everything I can to get my fellow students civically engaged!
Walking trains to the polls are one Dartmouth Civics initiative I love!
This fall, I also hope to become more involved with the Christian community on campus. There are so many great spiritual groups at Dartmouth (with many events open to all of campus), and I really want to find my place in one of them!
As always, I'll continue pursuing my love for writing in the fall term through this blog and the sports section of The Dartmouth. And who knows—maybe I'll try my hand at writing some fiction or poetry through one of Dartmouth's many literary magazines.
Outdoors
I'm looking forward to getting back on the water soon through Ledyard Canoe Club. A personal goal of mine is to become a club leader this term and start leading my own canoeing trips! I never knew how much I appreciated the Upper Valley until I spent a whole summer in an urban environment. I'm sure I'll be hiking, canoeing, cycling, and just soaking up sun on the Green as much as I can this fall.
Ledyard is super fun, and has a great community!
Wow, writing this blog post really has me missing Hanover! I can't believe how much a small little town in New Hampshire has come to mean to me, but I'm not complaining. For the next few weeks, I'll be enjoying the last days of my summer in Rome. But soon, I'll be back home (that rhymed)!
I took advantage of the crisp autumnal weather and vibrant foliage to explore beyond Hanover and cross off an item on my bucket list, just in time for Halloween!
SIP, or Social Impact Practicum, is a type of course that is offered at Dartmouth that centers around engaging with local community partners. I have taken two of these courses now and have found them to be enriching an interesting.
