Reece Sharp

My Walk From the River Cluster Dorms

At Dartmouth, I live in the River Cluster—a collection of dorms in West House, by the Connecticut River that are located behind the Irving Center. 

As a first-year, you are assigned to one of the six residential houses on campus and will remain a member of that house for your entire time at Dartmouth. The six houses are West House, North Park, East Wheelock, Allen House, School House, and South House. I am personally partial to West (#westhousebesthouse). 

The houses are centrally located on various parts of campus, and as the name suggests, West House is on the west side of campus. I love my house, my dorm, my hall community, and everything that comes with living in "the river," but one aspect of my dorm that I don't love is the location. It is a common joke among river residents that we live closer to Vermont than the Green; unfortunately, it is the truth.

Every morning, before class, I trek up Tuck Mall to reach the center of campus. Although it is a bit of a walk, I've grown to love those morning moments of solitude and the routine I've built around the journey. I figured I would take you along for the walk and show you a bit of my daily routine. 

After leaving my dorm, I pass by the Irving Center to get onto Tuck Mall—a campus road connecting the Baker-Berry Library to the Engineering and Business centers. In Irving, I stop by The Fern, one of the many cafes on campus, and use my morning meal swipe to buy a smoothie. 

There are many places to buy breakfast at Dartmouth, but The Fern is my favorite stop for two reasons:

1) The convenience. Located right by my dorm, The Fern is by far the closest food establishment to my dorm, making it the perfect breakfast spot.

2) The matcha banana smoothie. Last week, my friend introduced me to the beauty of the matcha banana smoothie, and my life hasn't been the same since. I get it (almost) every morning and drink it on my walk to class. 

My beloved matcha banana smoothie from The Fern!

After I leave the Fern, I start power walking down Tuck because, at that point, I am already, inevitably, running late to class. I put on my headphones, play a fast-paced song, and start making my way down the drive. 

Along the way, I pass by the iconic Dartmouth Cemetery, a quintessential part of the west side of campus. I've never been to the cemetery, but I have heard that some walking paths within the grounds are nice for a peaceful, reflective stroll.

Across from the cemetery, on the other side of Tuck Mall, lies the Fahey & McLane dorms. Fahey & McLane, along with Russell Sage & Butterfield, are two upperclassmen dorms in West House. 

Fahey & McLane Dorms!

The Fahey & McLane dorms on Tuck Mall are seen as the hub of West House. I think they are some of the prettiest dorms on campus, and I hope to live in them sometime in the next three years. 

If I keep on going past the West House dorms, I eventually reach the side entrance to Baker Library. At that point, my walk to class is almost complete. I turn left, walk past Carson Hall—a series of classrooms on the backend of the library—and then enter Kemeny Hall, the location of my 10A class, SPEE 20: Public Speaking