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 med 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 :)
Academic Program
Intended WGSS on the Pre-Health track
Favorite Thing Right Now
Decorating my dorm to make it more homey! Also the FOCO ice cream bar :)
Sex, Gender, and Society is a class in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) department. It focuses on how gender and sexuality are represented in the media and explores different ways society shapes our perspectives. This discussion-based class features multiple group projects, which allowed me to meet and interact with many of my classmates, which was super helpful in my first term! Fun fact: this class taught me how to plan, film, and edit a podcast on campus!
My Saturday started not so brightly but very early, at 5:45 am, to get ready to catch the 6:30 coach to New York City. My friend Maeve and I wanted to see the new Broadway production, Romeo + Juliet, so we decided to go for a quick 2-day trip—taking the coach. While it is five hours long, the Dartmouth Coach is such a convenient and hassle-free way to get to the heart of the city. The bus has large seats, movies, and even a galley that has snacks and drinks! I took advantage of the early morning and stayed awake to see the gorgeous forest and mountains surrounding campus as the sun rose.
The gorgeous Hanover sunrise
The Coach galley snacks!
A long, 4-hour nap later, I awoke to the foreign sight of billboards and tall buildings and knew we were close by. A half-hour later, the bus came to a stop, and I descended into the heart of New York City. Our first stop was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which I was very excited to see after years of watching clips of the Met Gala. All we had to do was take a short subway ride and walk to make it to the gorgeous steps. Inside, I was amazed at the architecture, both of the Museum and the historical rooms they had on display. One of my favorite pieces of art was the glass candle holder with pink accents.
After the Met, we headed towards Maeve's house to meet a very special someone…
Maeve's new puppy!!!
He was brought home a week ago, and I'd be lying if I said he wasn't one of the motivators of this trip to NYC. We got a good dose of pup therapy with his mischievous tug-of-war with our sleeves and belly rubs. After a little while, it was time for us to head back into the city for our 8 pm show.
Puppy love
The show was held in The Circle in the Square theatre, which has a cool formation of a circular stage that is surrounded by the audience. The play was an interesting modern take on the classic love story and very well done. The actors often interacted with the audience, ran up and down the aisles, and also used the suspended catwalks above us!
Circle in the Square Theatre
We started the next morning with drinks at my friend's favorite coffee shop, Blank Street. I opted for a chai latte while Maeve went for a matcha, and I'll admit, it was delicious. But I can't say it was better than Still North, one of my favorite spots in Hanover! Drinks in hand, we explored the city a little bit, looking at the brownstones and cathedrals. I even went to my very first deli!
The perfect pair: matcha + chai
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Our final stop before getting on the 4:30 coach was Maeve's favorite ramen store. It was pretty cold outside, so the warm noodles and soup were extra delicious.
The perfect bowl of Ramen
Even though the trip was short, I feel like I got to do so much, and it reminded me how accessible things like getting to watch a Broadway show are, even if it doesn't seem exactly that way from Hanover. With resources like the Coach, getaways to Boston and NYC are just a bus ride away!
This past December, I traveled to Vietnam as part of the "Developing Vietnam" study abroad program! Here is a—little overdue—photo journal of my three weeks in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
