Hello! My name is Cal Shin, and I am a '27 double-majoring in Economics and Philosophy. When I'm not studying or writing a blog post, you can find me drawing as the Design Editor for The Dartmouth, hosting my radio show at WebDCR, or spending time with my friends. And if I'm not doing any of those, I'm probably watching cat videos. Follow along as I share the moments that make Dartmouth feel like home!
I took this course with Professor James Binkoski and loved it! I had never taken a philosophy course prior to Dartmouth, so this introductory course in the department was perfect! After all, it combined my interests of philosophy with time and time travel — at least, how time and time travel are depicted in the media. This course may initially seem to be on the more technical side, but Professor Binkoski made sure to break down the various time travel theories — various ways scientists and philosophers think of time and its supposed movement — in a manner that’s easy for anyone to understand. A very popular course overall; I am fortunate to have been able to take it during my first term here!
I took this course with Professor Ha Yan Lee and it was absolutely amazing! I had my initial reservations about this course, mainly because I knew a lot of my classmates would have had some background knowledge while I had none. Professor Lee did a wonderful job of breaking down concepts in a manner that, as she often put it, is easy for even “your grandparents to understand”. Even beyond the course, the level of care Professor Lee exhibited towards her students is significant. She’s one of the most popular professors at Dartmouth, and for good reason! I ate lunch with her at The Pine through the Take a Faculty Member to Lunch program, and she gave me tremendous insight and advice! Because of this course, I have been inspired to explore more courses within the Econ department and potentially major in Economics.
I took this course with Professor Jasmina Savic and examined how the vampire figure evolved over time, starting with Slavic literature, going through Dracula and Twilight, and ending with “vampire” political figures. I realized what the portrayal of vampires could tell me about the thoughts of that society, including the fact that the early notions of vampirism are akin to modern-day diseases. For my final project, I wrote a research paper comparing the gumiho (the Korean nine-tailed fox) to several Western vampires.
SummerNew York City, New York
I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the summer! I met up with a good friend of mine, explored the city itself, and went to a networking event with other college students.
ECON 10 is one of the required courses for the Economics major. Based on my stellar experience with Professor Ha Yan Lee during ECON 1, when I saw that she was teaching ECON 10 this term, I immediately jumped at the chance to take the course with her. Once again, Professor Lee did an amazing job of breaking down concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. (The fact that her slideshows were colorful and featured various pictures of cats helped.)
My main interest in philosophy lies in normative and applied ethics, so when I saw the opportunity to take a class on the former, I didn’t hesitate! The class focused on consequentialism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. I enjoyed the ample opportunities for discussion, including discussion posts about the readings, as well as the table-wide conversations. My table, in particular, had lots to say, and there was one reading in particular where we ended up diving into discussion, not once, but twice! In fact, we had so much to say that all of us coincidentally chose to write our essay on this reading — and none of us knew until after we started talking about our papers!
If you ask any Dartmouth student what their favorite spring tradition is, odds are that they'll exclaim "Green Key!" Green Key refers to the annual mainstage concerthosted by Programming Board, but anyone will tell you that it's so much more than that. Green Key is a giant, campus-wide celebration — one of sunshine mixed with rain, where live music from various bands can be heard blaring from various spots across campus. The best part is that Green Key is completely free for Dartmouth students! All you need is a wristband to attend the mainstage concert, and if you're planning to bring friends outside of Dartmouth, guest tickets are $20 each (with a maximum of 2 guests per student). Having been swamped with midterms and papers all week, Green Key was just the reprieve I needed.
I started my Green Key by attending the block party hosted by Phi Delta Alpha (colloquially known as Phi Delt). During the block party, the whole stretch of Webster Avenue, where most Greek houses are located, was blocked off. That meant we could sing and dance to the live music performed by student band Jenny's Room without any interruptions from cars or traffic. Unfortunately, it started to pour mid-performance, so my friends and I wandered to Collis Porch to wait it out. Hearing the faint music while everyone was under the awning felt magical, especially when the sun came back out and a double-rainbow arched over the sky!
That night, the mainstage concert kicked off with another student band, Read Receipts, followed by student DJ Sid. Then came the headliners: Jay Sean, who brought back 2000s energy, and A$AP FERG, known for his hit song "Plain Jane".
A$AP Ferg!
Having danced and sang my heart, I knew that I needed a more relaxed Saturday. Green Key @ Collis featured live performances from bands that were (in my opinion) too small, indie, and mellow for my taste. Still, there was lots of free food, including Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and I painted a tote bag with my friends!
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
It's my first spring ever (!!!) and I have been blown away by the beautiful scenery that continues to bloom right in front of my eyes. Here are some of my favorite scenes from campus in spring!
