The 305!! M.I.A. (aka Miami)

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but after I finished elementary school my dad and I moved to Miami, FL, where I currently reside. These are 2 huge cities with millions of people, something completely different from Hanover, NH. When I applied to colleges I knew that I did not want to stay in Florida, and was looking for the "college town feel." When I visited Dartmouth, I knew I found what I was looking for.

Yes, Hanover is a small town in a state that many people haven't heard of before, but it's filled with lots of character, activities, and a sense of community that rivals other college towns and cities. It was the tight-knit community at Dartmouth, facilitated by it's location in Hanover, that prevented me from getting homesick. Of course I miss home-cooked meals, the beach, and most of all 80-degree weather almost every day of the year, but the opportunities and experiences at Dartmouth were well worth the move.

D.M.V!!!!

I was born and raised in Washington DC, and I now live in Silver Spring,MD. (We call it the DMV: DC, MD, VA). I was used to being in a city and honestly it was one of the reasons that I DIDN'T want go to Dartmouth initially. I quickly realized that I have the rest of my life to be in a city and that Hanover is what a college town is supposed to look like. I like that I don't spend as much money and that there are fewer distractions readily available. But still, I definitely miss home every now and then. My first year I was so caught up in the novelty of college that being away didn't get to me. After the terms away start to add up, you feel it. I now find myself missing my family a lot more...even my sister. I was so happy to chill with my mom this past Sophomore Family weekend. And I can tell that Dartmouth is starting be like a home to me because I showed her all of my favorite "spots," just as if I were showing off my city to out-of-towners.

Sophomore Family Weekend!

Unrelated to the question of the week

Last weekend was Sophomore Family Weekend and I had so much fun with my mom! We went to so many cook-outs and most importantly we went shopping :-). Sophomore Family Weekend is a time when parents can come and visit, just to check in. There is a similar weekend called First Year Family Weekend during the spring of your first year. I loved being able to take my mom to Collis Commonground and having her see all of the different student groups perform. She loved seeing Sheba dance! I miss her a lot, however, I am glad that she was able to come and check out what Dartmouth is like for me!

I'm a townie....

I am from Hanover, NH.

Yup, I go to college in my hometown. As expected, homesickness isn't something I have really had to deal with too much during my time at Dartmouth. Even when I traveled abroad to Spain, I never really felt homesick. Between email, instant messenger, Skype and Facebook, it is ridiculously easy to stay in touch with family and friends nowadays. Dartmouth is a whole new community that I didn't really know of before I was accepted. Now I feel like my hometown has expanded to include my 4,000 or so fellow Dartmouth students.

One great benefit of being from here: I know my way around way better than my classmates....and home-made cookies whenever I want.

B-more!

I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, so coming to Hanover was a bit of a change for me. I was accustomed to the city life and going to the malls whenever I had free time. Of course you won't find that in Hanover, which turned out to be a good thing for me (no high credit card bills, whaa whoo!). I really wasn't that homesick when I first got here. My parents came up to help me move in, but as soon as orientation started, they went back to Baltimore. I didn't go on a DOC trip, but I already knew some people who were also going to be incoming freshman because we had gone to the same summer program.

Knowing people before hand definitely eased my transition into college and made me less homesick. Occasionally I miss a good home cooked meal, so when my friends and I have time we cook all of our favorite foods : )

H.O.U.S.T.O.N

I am from Houston, Texas so my Dartmouth experience has been extremely different from what I experience at home. Since Hanover, NH is very small college town and Houston, TX is a huge city, I did get homesick during my first term at Dartmouth. Everything and everyone was just so different! Also, I didn't have my twin sister to rely on anymore. However, my homesickness didn't last too long because my undergraduate adviser (UGA) held so many floor meetings that I started making friends. Additionally, I joined a couple student organizations and made lots of friends that way. Plus, now that I am so busy with the clubs that I am a part of, I sometimes forget about my homesickness. However, I still get homesick every so often for a good home-cooked meal :-).

What is your least favorite thing about Dartmouth?

The posts below are our responses to the question of the week:

What is your least favorite thing about Dartmouth?

The Dartmouth Bubble

What I like least about Dartmouth is the fact that sometimes we are surrounded by a bubble. It seems like new information, not about Dartmouth, very slowly finds its way on campus. When I go back home and listen to the radio, songs that I think are brand new, have been out for three months. In order to find out new information, my mom calls me and tells me exactly what is going on in the news that day. Unless you read the New York Times or Wall Street Journal every day, it is very hard to find out what is going on in the world. Because of this, I have made the New York Times website as my home page so that I do not lose sight of the fact that things are constantly happening around the world. During student organizational meetings, we try to make time for discussing new events. It is tough trying to not get caught up in the Dartmouth bubble, however, it is very much possible to not lose sight of all of the things that are happening around you, and not just at Dartmouth.

Least Favorite Thing= Dating Scene

I would have say that my least favorite aspect about Dartmouth is the dating scene. The D-Plan can make it challenging to keep a relationship because of the constant moving on and off campus that happens.

Since everyone is very busy with academics, extracurriculars, sports, and other commitments, it can be tough to spend a lot of time with a significant other. It's definitely a challenge, but it can be done.

Least and Most Favorite thing = D-Plan

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is probably also my favorite thing about Dartmouth. The D-plan is definitely a defining characteristic of the Dartmouth experience, and I have taken full advantage of it's flexibility in traveling to Barcelona, Spain and working in the Dartmouth Admissions Office. That being said, the 10-week terms make the year go by incredibly fast. I am now a rising senior and can't believe how quickly I am 3/4 of the way through Dartmouth! I love how fresh and vibrant the D-plan keeps campus, but I wish I had more time in the day to do everything I wanted to, from going to shows to joining yet another organization.

Learn more about the D-Plan here!

My D-Plan:
R = In residence at Dartmouth
L = Leave term
O = Off-campus program (study abroad)

Let it Snow!

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is the climate. I love being in this New England rural environment where the air is so fresh (especially coming from the city) and you can watch the leaves change colors. But with all these perks, there has to be a downside: the winter season. The New England weather is absolutely beautiful in the summer time, but the winters can be a little overwhelming. The best advice that I was given was to dress warm.

Despite all the cold weather and mounds of snow, there is an added bonus: Winter Activities! Dartmouth does a great job of keeping the fun going when there may not seem like anything else to do but walk from your dorm room, to class, to Thayer Food Court (one of the dining facilities), and back to your room (yes, that was my routine freshman winter). As a result, I was a bit dispirited and bummed out. So, I vowed that come my sophomore winter I was going to take advantage of all the activities Dartmouth had to offer.

My sophomore winter was great. I went skiing, ice skating on Occum Pond, and even sledding on the golf course. I wouldn't have known that the winter time could be so enjoyable if I had chosen to barricade myself in my room.

Lesson Learned- Don't let the seasons control you, you control the seasons!

Buses and Planes, Buses and Planes

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is leaving...and coming back for that matter. The thing about being in Hanover is that there isn't a major airport nearby. If you're not from the New England area (which offers many different bus and train routes to other New England destinations) you have to fly out of Manchester, NH or Boston. There are buses from Dartmouth's campus to these airports, but it can get annoying to have to plan your flights around the bus schedules.

The buses are comfortable, though, especially the Dartmouth Coach to Boston. It now has WIFI and there's always a movie and snacks on it. The Coach comes about every two hours each day, so it's pretty convenient. My friends and I have hopped on the Coach to go to Boston for the day or weekend. It's also a pretty and peaceful ride, as you drive through the mountains and pass different rivers. I've gotten the chance to meet a lot of fellow students and professors during the rides.

Still, I just sometimes wish there were more options for transportation to and from Hanover. I propose a Dartmouth airport!

Want to see what Hanover looks like today?

Check out the Dartmouth web-cams here!

You can also find pictures of campus here!

I know when I was applying, I desperately tried to find ways of seeing what it was actually like to be a student. One good way is through the photo galleries and webcams. Check them out.

Feel free to shoot any of us your questions or comment on a post!

What is the coolest/most interesting arts/theater/performance show that you've seen at Dartmouth?

The following posts are our responses to the question of the week:

What is the coolest/most interesting arts/theater/performance show that you've seen at Dartmouth?

Classical Guitar Concert in Barcelona!

During my sophomore winter I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to spend the term on our Spanish Language Study Abroad (LSA) program. Dartmouth is well known for the breadth and quality of its study abroad programs, and I am among the 50% of Dartmouth students who study abroad at some point before they graduate.

Of the performances I have seen as an undergraduate, my favorite was one I saw during my term in Barcelona. Our professor suggested we attend a concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It's a stunning concert hall with world-famous decorations that exude the passion of the Catalonia region. It's even a World Heritage Site!

A small group of us were able to get tickets to a classical guitar concert in the Palau and it was by far the most moving classical concert I have attended. The combination of the astonishing acoustics of the hall, ornate setting (see the photo), and traditional guitar music really pulled me in. It was definitely a highlight of my term abroad and an experience I hope to repeat at some point.

More information about study abroad at Dartmouth.

More pictures of the Palau!

Get "Lifted"

Every year Dartmouth students organize an event called Lifted. Lifted celebrates the life of Martin Luther King. It is simply an amazing experience to get to watch all of the student groups on campus perform at one event. The spoken word performance group, Soul Scribes, always has great performers who move the crowd. One of our student dance groups, Ujima, shows off their latest moves. The Native American group, Occom Pond Singers, show us a little preview of what happens during their Pow-Wow. All of these student groups come together in order to celebrate the man who made it possible for all of them to be able to perform on stage at a prestigious college like Dartmouth. To this day, it is the one event I look forward to regularly.

Savion!!!

My freshman winter, tap-dancer extraordinaire, Savion Glover, came to Hanover. Ever since I saw him tap-dancing with Elmo on Sesame Street I fell in love with his talent. So I HAD to see him! Not only did I get a $5 ticket to see his performance at the Hopkins Center but I was also able to attend a "Meet and Greet" Dinner that the Hop organized. A few friends and I along with a small group of students got to chill with Savion Glover! We ate, and talked about all sorts of things from the origins of our names to the "death" of hip-hop. Savion (Yea, we're on a first name basis!...) stayed for a week doing performances and teaching dance workshops to students and local young dancers.

As expected, Savion's performance was out of this world!!! I was amazed that with just a few wooden boards and three tap dancers such an engaging performance could be delivered. There wasn't an extravagant set design or a bunch of music cues. They just tapped and gave their everything. It has definitely been one of the highlights of my Dartmouth experience!

Favorite Performance -- HAIR!!

One of my favorite performances at Dartmouth would have to be the student rendition of the play HAIR. Some theater classes require that students put on a play at the end of the term and other Dartmouth students and community members are all allowed to come to the show. I had never seen a Hopkins Center production before and some of my friends were in HAIR, so I thought why not go?

The play was absolutely amazing, plus I didn't know that so many people at Dartmouth could sing!! I really enjoyed all the musical numbers and awesome props. It was also wonderful to know that students really get involved in every aspect of the play: from acting, to designing costumes (some of my friends even made them, which I was really in awe of) , to even making props.

I thought these shows were so amazing that I have seen a couple more performances since then.

Click here to see a trailer of HAIR!!

WiReD!!

With so many cool shows and performances happening throughout the term, it can be hard to see all of them. From acapella shows to dance groups, to Shakespeare plays and musicals - there is something for everyone, and new genres to explore.

One of the coolest performances I attended is the termly "WiReD" show. WiReD is a 24-hour play-writing experience. Students involved with WiReD are given 24 hours to write short plays, they stay up all night and perform the plays the following evening. The plays are impulsive, comic, and really exciting! No experience is needed, and anyone can write or perform in them.

The Hopkins Center is the cultural, arts, and theater hub of campus. Here you will find tons of performances, studio art galleries, a jewelry workshop, and the popular Courtyard Cafe.

Find out what the "Hop" offers here!

What is one thing you've done at Dartmouth that you never thought you would do?

The following posts are our blogger's answers to the question of the week:

What is one thing you've done at Dartmouth that you never thought you would do?

Perform in front of 46,000 people!

So one of the organization of which I am a member is the Dartmouth Cords, an all male a cappella group. I sang in high school and always thought I would continue to do so in college, but joining the Cords has blown away all of my expectations. Around this time last year, we had the opportunity to perform the national anthem at a major league baseball game.

Now, everyone who knows me knows about my Red Sox hat. I always either have it on, or its in my bag. I've even had some professors not even recognize me in class without it. Last year, the group had the chance to sing the national anthem at the Red Sox - Phillies game in Philadelphia on June 17th. Needless to say, I was excited.

The morning of the game, we all piled into our cars and drove down to the Philadelphia region. We stopped by the apartment of an alum of the group to drop off our stuff, then continued on to the park. When we arrived, we were greeted by the staff and ushered into a locker-room just down the hall from the Red Sox. After warming up, we finally hit the field and prepared to sing. The crowd that day was 46,000 and being on the field, next to my favorite team, and singing the anthem with some of my best friends was an experience I'll never forget and one that I never expected when I first arrived at Dartmouth.

Managing the Dartmouth Women's Basketball Team

The one thing that I have done at Dartmouth I never thought I would do is to become the manager of Dartmouth’s Women’s Basketball Team.

During the beginning of my freshmen term, I was looking for a job just to keep myself busy and to put some cash in my pocket. So I was searching through Dartmouth’s job database online and saw a position open to be the manager of the women’s basketball team. Since I didn’t have a preference for what job I got, I just went ahead and applied for it. I met with Coach Chris Wielgus and immediately we had a connection and she offered me the position.

I have loved every single second of working with the basketball team. Since I have to attend all the practices and all the games, I often joke with my friends that it is like being a part of the team but not having to do all the hard work. Having to travel during the year can get a little tough with the work load, however the coaches make sure that everyone on the team is finding time to finish their work. The coaches not only care about the students doing well on the court but also off the court.

Being able to travel to many different schools and to see our girls compete against some of the most amazing players in the league is a great privilege and honor. Getting to see all the different college campuses allows me to be grateful of Dartmouth’s beautiful campus. Traveling also allows me to understand that I did make the right choice in picking Dartmouth as my college choice. Watching the girls compete in every single game allows me to see the growth of the team throughout the year. Seeing the team improve over time is always great to watch. I basically get a firsthand experience as to why they should be the Ivy League champions.

And honestly they have deserved it.

Travel the World!!

When I visited Dartmouth, I was constantly told to "Take advantage of Dartmouth's money. Travel as much as possible!" I was unsure what this meant, but when I arrived on campus I quickly realized this piece of advice meant exactly that- travel on Dartmouth's dime!

I never thought I would be able to see so many different places and do great work all because Dartmouth was providing me the resources to do the things I wanted to do. Throughout my time at Dartmouth, I was able to do 5 community service/global development programs and a Foreign Study Program (FSP)!

As a Freshman, I traveled to our nation's capital, Washington D.C., to work on homelessness and poverty issues, volunteered in soup kitchens, and met with legislators to discuss poverty alleviation programs.

During my Sophomore winter break, I went to Siuna, Nicaragua (a small town in the northern part of the country) to explore sustainable development methods and health care. The Nicaragua CCESP (run through the Tucker Foundation) was an eye-opening experience to the issues affecting millions of people around the world and how we can work to solve them. Right before my Sophomore Summer, I was a leader for the Katrina Relief Trip to Biloxi, MI to work on helping community members rebuild their town after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

During my Junior Fall, I spent 10 weeks in Paris, France studying French language, literature, and history. This was the most amazing thing I've ever done! While in Paris, I traveled to Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, and Strasbourg. It was always a dream of mine to study in Paris, and thanks to the D-Plan (our academic calendar) I was able to do it!

Finally, during my Senior year, I returned to Nicaragua as a trip leader to once again explore my passion for global development and cross-cultural exchange. And during Spring Break (March '09) I went to El Rosario, Honduras with 6 other students to organize a leadership skills camp for local teenagers to make a positive difference in their communities.

So..this is what it means to "travel on Dartmouth's dime." The College provides tons of opportunities to explore the world and your passions, and gives you the resources to do so!

Click here to learn more about Dartmouth's Off-Campus Programs!

Passionate about service work and global development? Check out the Tucker Foundation.

Salsa!!!!!!!

I'm often very shy when it comes to dancing, so I never thought I would do anything dance-related at Dartmouth, ESPECIALLY not the SALSA!...My Freshman year a few friends and I tried out "Thursday Night Salsa" which is an open salsa lesson night at Collis Student Center. The lessons are taught by Dartmouth students and best of all, they are free! Every Thursday this group shows off their moves and teaches steps to anyone who wants to learn. I was really nervous because I had never done salsa before but people of all skill levels come to TNS. It's a really laid back environment because other students are your "instructors." It's amazing how talented they are and they really do love to teach! I went to a few sessions and had so much fun, and I would love to start getting back into it.

I am nowhere near close to ever being a pro but, it's really fun to take a few friends, try something new, and laugh at yourself a little bit! It's a great way to spend a Thursday night (that is, if Grey's Anatomy isn't on....but that's another "Dartmouth thing" that I'll be sure to discuss later!)

EVENT: Welcome Event for Dr. Kim!

So Dartmouth has a new President. His name is Dr. Jim Yong Kim. If you don't know anything about him, you should. He's a rockstar in the Global Health arena, founding Partners in Health with Paul Farmer. He's even been profiled in Rolling Stone alongside Madonna.

His first day on the job was last Wednesday, July 1st and the College held a huge Welcome event in his honor that afternoon on the Dartmouth Green. Basically, it was awesome. Free ice cream, sorbet, t shirts - just a big party. He spoke a few words of wisdom, but mostly let the student band Filigar (check them out on iTunes) keep the stage. Here are a few pictures from the event. The first one is me (red shirt) giving our new President a strawberry from the farmers market down the street. Everyone around here treats him a bit like a celebrity so this was really exciting. The other two photos are from around the event.

More info on President Kim here.

More pictures of the Welcome event here.

...and video here!

Skiing Adventures

The one thing that I did at Dartmouth that I never thought I would do is go skiing. We do get snow where I'm from, but I'm a city girl. There aren't any mountains close to where I live, so I never thought that I would ever go skiing...

It was winter term of my sophomore year and my friends thought it would be fun to go skiing. They had never been skiing either, so it definitely was going to be a learning experience for all of us. We decided to go during Winter Carnival, one of Dartmouth's traditions that celebrates fun in the outdoors. During Winter Carnival, the college offers a 99cent ski day. A bus will come and pick you up on campus and take you to the ski way where you only have to pay 99cents for admission. You have your choice of skis or snowboards. My friends and I all chose skis, next time I'll consider the snowboard.

It probably took me 30 minutes to put the skis on and to stand. It was definitely harder than I thought it was going to be. Needless to say, I started on the bunny slope and felt slightly embarrassed when 5yr olds were zooming past me. I did receive a lot of useful advice from the local skiers (yes, including the 5yr olds) which I truly appreciated.

All in all, I had a great time and I really enjoyed my day at the slopes. It was full of laughter, frustration, falling lots of times, but most importantly long lasting memories. Kristin, Daria, and I still reflect on our experience and are happy that we all tried something new.

Who is your Favorite Professor and why?

All the posts below answer the question:

Who is your favorite Professor and why?

My Favorite Dartmouth Professor

My favorite Dartmouth professor hands down is my psychology Professor Janine L. Scheiner. Professor Scheiner manages to keep her classes entertaining even while discussing tough and boring psychology courses like Psychological Assessment. Since Scheiner is a full time clinical psychologist, she is able to discuss real life cases so that her students have something to use as an example. Additionally, since her classes are in the morning, it is great that she is constantly upbeat and energetic. So even if you don’t think you can stay up for a class at 9 AM, she will most certainly keep you awake.

But the one thing I love about Professor Scheiner is the fact that she is always available. Even if you are unable to attend office hours, she will work with you so that you will understand the material.

If you were not in love with psychology as a field, you will definitely become one after taking her course. She shows her love and passion for the subject and transfers it to the students who take her course.

My Favorite Dartmouth Professor!

I agree that it is very tough to answer this question. I've been able to take classes in many different departments and meet lots of professors with different teaching styles, approaches, and interests. If I have to choose, Prof. Soyica Diggs Colbert is probably the professor who I've enjoyed the most.

Professor Colbert is fairly new to Dartmouth, this being her second year teaching. She's young and a lot of students appreciate having a teacher who makes current references for instance, to popular music (Beyonce, Kanye, etc)!

I took "Black Theater" with Prof. Colbert in my first term at Dartmouth. She is an English Professor but her research interests focus on representations of black performance so she teaches in the Theater Department also. This course engaged plays written by African Americans from slavery up through modern times. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan Lori-Parks was a guest lecturer whose works we read when the course shifted to contemporary black drama. (It was the first time I've ever gotten chills hearing someone speak!...So Inspiring!)

What I enjoyed the most is that Prof. Colbert encouraged us to use creative mediums to demonstrate our analyses of the texts. (We weren't required to write only.) For our final project students used song, poetry, acting, and other forms of creative interpretation to present major themes of the course. After taking Professor Colbert's class I became more involved in extra-curricular drama organizations at Dartmouth.

Here is Professor Colbert's Website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~english/faculty/DiggsS.html