Living The Green Life

Aleaokalani “Alea” Kahele ’27

she/her/hers

Hometown

Sandy, Utah and the Big Island of Hawaii

Majors

Earth Sciences and Native American and Indigenous Studies

Activities

Hōkūpa’a (Dartmouth‘s pan- Pasifika organization), campus tour guide, support crew for first-year trips

Olivia Ajdler ’27

she/her/hers

Hometown

New York City, NY

Majors

Sociology and Music

Activities

club baseball, guitar, campus band

Tell us a little bit about yourselves before Dartmouth.

Alea

I was born in Hawaii and then moved to Memphis for a little while before my family eventually settled in Utah. I went to Catholic school from first through 12th grade, all on the same campus. I was very close with my community and involved in my high school. I miss it sometimes—I had a great high school experience.

Olivia

I attended a Jewish high school in New York City. People from all over New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut went there, too. Not many people from my school lived near me, which is very different from my experience at Dartmouth. Here, you can walk for two minutes and be with any of your friends. I really appreciate that.

How did you two become roommates?

Alea

We were randomly matched. I loved that there was no pressure for us to be very best friends or to have the same friends. Olivia is a very chill person and I’m very high energy. We have our own interests and places we fit on campus, and I think that makes us better roommates. I really enjoy meeting Olivia’s friends and interacting with people that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise met.

Olivia:

My friends seep into your life just by us being roommates. We both have different social circles, but we’re still tied to each other. We are more like family than friends, in a sense, because you don’t choose your family; it’s built in. Family is always there for you at the end of the day.

How do you two handle conflict?

Alea

I think we are really good at creating a safe space to bring up issues. We work together and do not let things fester.

Olivia

Right. We’re good at asking each other, “Do you mind this? Do you mind that?” If one of us minds, we say that. We talk in respectful language and communicate well enough to anticipate each other’s needs.

Alea

We don’t think of our room as “this is my side, and that’s your side.” That isn’t how it works. We are one room, and we have a responsibility to make sure the other person is cared for, safe, and comfortable. What I appreciate about Olivia is that she is a very sensitive person. When I was having a tough time earlier this term, she asked, “Hey, do you want to hang out tonight? We can do face masks.”

Do you have any roommate traditions?

Alea

Our getting-ready anthem is Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira. It’s such a fun way to wake up together.