Hi everyone! I'm Rika, a semi-international '28 from Japan, India, and Malaysia. I'm interested in studying women, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as public policy, global health, and biology while also being on the pre-health track! In my free time, I love to read books, cook and bake, play violin, spend time with animals, be sarcastic, and drink hot drinks (especially teas)! I'm so excited to share my exploration of Dartmouth with everyone :)
This weekend, the Dartmouth Programming Boardbrought inLaundry Day, a pop-rock band from New York, to perform for us on campus! Honestly, I didn't know much about the band, but my friend was a bit of a super fan, so at 8:30 sharp, we found ourselves waiting for the doors of Sarner Underground to open. We flooded through the doors and speed-walked our way into the venue, securing our front-row standing space.
Front row!
The band was so incredibly talented, and they mixed genres of pop, alternative, rock, and rap with their catchy songs and unique covers. The crowd's favorite cover was their encore, 'Party In the USA.' Some of their songs included calls and responses, and they taught us the words so we could sing along, which was really fun to do. The band was also very funny, often cracking jokes in between songs, like shouting out the big pole that was blocking a lot of people's view, as well as doing"one last scroll" on TikTok, which was scheduled to be banned from the US that night. They also cleverly changed the lyrics to their song Harvard from "Harvard on my chest as I bounce around" to "Dartmouth on my chest," which, of course, was a crowd hit.
The setlist
I haven't been to many live concerts before, so this was a really fun way to have a front-row experience with my friends. We swayed with our phone flashlights above us, jumped up and down to the rapid beat, and shouted out the lyrics when the microphone was pointed to the crowd. I discovered that I enjoy the pop-rock genre a lot more than I previously thought, and Laundry Day has already been added to my rotation of favorite artists. I had so much fun, and this is such a cool example of the fun things that are always happening on campus. For some fans, this concert was a must-see, while for others (like me), it was a happy, spontaneous event that ended up being one of the best nights I've had on campus.
The River Cluster (the group of residence halls closest to the Connecticut River, including French and Judge Hall) has a reputation…and some of it is warranted. But there's more to living in the River than you might expect!
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Isabelle Sullivan '26, an environmental studies and geography major, showed me around her room, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
There was never a single "aha!" moment of clarity when I knew that Dartmouth was right for me, yet now, it is impossible for me to imagine having chosen anywhere else.
