Arts, Alumni, and Alumni

I have had a lot of jobs on campus. My freshman year, I worked a significant amount for the Hopkins Center for the Arts in the Box Office - known as the Hop. I sold tickets to members of the Dartmouth community as well as the general public. There are two wonderful things about the arts here at Dartmouth: first, the diverse and often world-renowned performers we bring attract both members of the Dartmouth community and local community members. Second, Dartmouth subsidizes student tickets so you will never pay more than $10 to see any show. We have written about the various awesome performances we have all attended before on the blog, but believe me, we haven't done it justice.

I have also had the chance to work with Dartmouth alumni, as both a member of the Hill Winds Society, and as a worker assigned to class reunions every summer. Both of these opportunities have shown me just how crazy and passionate the alumni of this College can be. They really are Dartmouth's greatest resource, and being a part of that family is wonderful.

For more information on the Hopkins Center for the Arts, click here.

For more information for or about alumni of the college, click here.
picture credit: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~gallery/events/comm06/images/0606-2.jpg

Research, Advising, and More...

Before I started working for the Office of Admissions my sophomore summer, I had a variety of jobs on campus. My freshman year, I worked as a WISP intern in the Biomedical Engineering Lab. WISP stands for Women in Science Project. It is an organization that tries to encourage women to stick with the sciences by offering relevant programming, mentors, internship opportunities, etc. As a WISP intern I did research on what material would be best to use when making things like knee implants in the future.

During my sophomore year I was an Undergraduate Advisor (UGA – which is the equivalent to a Resident Advisor at other schools) for transfer and exchange students. Being an Undergraduate Advisor is a lot of fun because you get to know a group of Dartmouth students, your residents, really well over the course of a term. UGA’s plan social an academic programs for their floors while also working with the other UGAs in their housing cluster to plan fun programs for the housing cluster as a whole.

Another cool place to work on campus is the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences (Rocky). I had the opportunity to be a discussion group leader for two of Rocky’s various discussion groups, Women in Leadership and VoxMasters public speaking forum and it was so much fun. All Rocky discussion groups meet once a week, for an hour, to discuss a range of topics over a free dinner. Students are welcome to attend any and/or all the weekly meetings over the course of a term. Attending a discussion group is a great way to meet people from across campus while learning about recent issues in the world at large.

NEW QUESTION THIS WEEK: ON CAMPUS WORK AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

Outside of working for the Admissions Office, what are some of the other job and/or research experiences that you have had on campus?

The posts below respond to last week's question: If you had to highlight an event/program that's happening on campus this week, what would it be?

DARTMOUTH IDOL

Tuesday, February 9th was the semi-finals round of Dartmouth Idol. Since its creation in 2008, Dartmouth Idol has become one of the major events of winter term. The competition takes place over the course of 3 rounds: an open try-out round, a semi-finals performance/competition, and a finals performance/competition. Dartmouth students get to decide who advances to the finals and which performer actually wins after attending the semi-final and final rounds respectively. This year, the performers are competing for major prizes. The first prize is $500 and the chance to record a 3-song demo, second prize is $250 and third prize is $100. The singers come from all parts of campus and perform songs from various genres. This year Andrew Rayner ’10 and Harmony Gbe ’10, both Admissions interns, are participating in Dartmouth Idol as a contestant and judge respectively. Whether or not you’re a fan of the original American Idol, Dartmouth Idol is definitely an enjoyable experience.

Picture courtesy of Dartmouth College, Hopkins Center for the Arts

"Colorline" Discussion

As a part of black history month, the NAACP is hosting a series of discussions with professors from the African and African American Studies department to commemorate the department's 40th year anniversary. Therefore, I've been busy trying to make sure the event is well planned. Even though it has been fairly time consuming, I am looking forward to this week's discussion because it is featuring one of the many great professors I have had the opportunity to take a class with: Professor Soyica Colbert. She has been my idol since the day I met her in class and being able to participate in a discussion with her this week is going to be one of the highlights of my week! The discussion will center around the idea of the 'colorline' being present in today's culture and intertwined with that the belief of us living in a post-racial community. I am excited to hear the thoughts and ideas that Dartmouth students and Professor Colbert have on the particular subject.

WINTER CARNIVAL!

Dartmouth's annual big weekend starts this week on Thursday! Winter Carnival is probably Dartmouth's most famous big weekend because of the 1939 movie Winter Carnival and its national promotion by the Dartmouth Outing Club during the 1920s-1940s. The weekend consists of greek house hosted dance parties, the ski races, 1 dollar rental day at the Dartmouth Skiway, the Winter Ball, and the Polar Bear Swim, where the school cuts a hole in Occum Pond and students take a chilly plunge for a moment. The is also always a snow sculpture constructed in the middle of the Green. In sum, it is a fun weekend for Dartmouth students and Upper Valley residents alike.

African vs. African American Discussion

As the others said, there are many events and panel discussions taking place this week. The program that I am very interested in hearing is called "African vs. African American" which will be a discussion about the different perspectives from students associated with each category. I am anxious to hear both sides because these are distinct categories and often times they are always grouped together.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

One of the reasons why I love Dartmouth so much is that the institution really puts an emphasis on learning outside of the classroom, recognizing that important ideas should not be restricted to traditional academic settings. In light of this, today starts a week-long event focusing on social inequality, whether it is in education, employment or things that many of us take for granted, like having a place to live. Different organizations on campus often host panel discussions on the importance of social justice, but I am really looking forward to this particular segment because it features one of today's leading activists in the public education arena: Jonathan Kozol. Here is a breakdown of the week's activities:


***********************************************
The Ignored of America: A Week Exploring Social Inequality
***********************************************

Thursday, February 4th
The Social Construction of Poverty: a Panel on Inequality and Education in
America
- Faculty Panel: Irene Kacandes, Michael Harris, Samantha Ivery
- Free Dinner at 7pm in Rockefeller 002

Friday, February 5th
Working Class Brilliance: Examining the Many Faces of Intelligence
- Free Dinner Discussion at 6:30pm in Brace Commons

Monday, February 8th
Rachel and Her Children: The Long-Enduring Damage of Homelessness to Children
and their Parents
- Public Lecture by Jonathan Kozol
- 4pm in Filene Auditorium

Film: Whatever It Takes
- Screening presentation by Jay Davis
- 7pm in Filene Auditorium

Tuesday, February 9th
"What Matters to Me and Why" with Jonathan Kozol
- 12pm (noon) in Collis Common Ground

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.uwyo.edu/sjrc/images/socialjustice.jpg

Meditation!

My favorite event this week has to be the Transcendental Meditation (TM) session tonight from 7-8pm. There will be an instructor to help you learn the techniques of TM so everyone is welcome.

This is the point of the term in which midterms are ramping up, so a little relaxation is probably in order. I might just have to drop by and check it out myself...

Panels, Panels, Panels

I've been going to a lot of panels lately dealing with a range of issues: Haiti, Preparing for senior year, religion and spirituality at Dartmouth, the list goes on

Tomorrow I am double-booked attending two panels in the evening. At 7:30 I'm going to hear a panel discussion called "The Social Construction of Poverty: a Panel on Inequality and Education in America." This is actually the beginning of a week of events that addresses social inequalities in America. I work in an education/neuroscience lab and have taken an education class about reading and educational development so I am interested to hear the faculty panelists discuss the issues of educational discrepancies. (And there's FREE FOOD!!!!)

Next at 8:30, Dartmouth seniors will talk at "Branded." They will be discussing how the communities with which they identify on campus (athletes, cultural groups, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc) shape how they are perceived and how they view themselves. Our very own Admissions Intern, Harmony Gbe '10 will be a panelist! I'm excited! Yay Harmony!

Check out more about Social Justice Week at the Tucker Foundation's website:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/

New Question This Week: Weekly Highlight

If you had to highlight an event/program that's happening on campus this week, what would it be?

The posts below respond to last week's question: What is your favorite unconventional thing, place, or activity at Dartmouth that a lot of students don't know about?

Also Fort Lou's Restaurant

Fort Lou's is the best known secret on campus. If you're involved on campus in any number of activities, you can count on the night ending (or the morning beginning) over a plate of crispy home fries at this favorite of Dartmouth students. Yeah sure, it's a decent drive away from campus. And yes, the food isn't exceptionally good compared to regular Lous; but Fort Lou's cant be quantified by these typical restaurant standards because it's the experience that matters.

~*~ Fort Lou's Restaurant ~*~

One of my favorite activities at Dartmouth is actually off-campus, which is why many students don't even know it exists...Fort Lou's, the best truck-stop pretty much middle-of-nowhere breakfast diner in town! Fort Lou's has been around for about 50 years and as a result, it has an intense following which makes it almost impossible to get a meal there quickly. It's soooo worth it though!! I never have to wait in line because I usually go there in the early morning after an eventful night on campus. Fort Lou's is known for its corned beef hash but I always go for the cruller french toast which is absolutely AMAAAAZING. They offer hearty lunch plates and tasty baked goods, but I highly recommend the breakfast menu to anyone who wants a taste of homemade maple syrup! Did I mention that their portions are HUGE? As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than enjoying chocolate covered pancakes at four in the morning, talking with friends about the night you all just shared and laughing out loud at the thought of having class the next day. Nothing even comes close.

Organic Farm

Like Jana and Charnice, I haven’t had the chance to fully explore all of the interesting places and things around Dartmouth. That being said, one very cool place to visit, that’s off campus, is Dartmouth’s organic farm. It is located about three miles from campus by car, bike, or river paddle (you can get there by water since its located right next to the river). The organic farm is in operation year round and provides students with tons of educational and recreational opportunities. Whether you decide to work/volunteer for the organic farm, have a lesson there with a class, or visit with a school group there are always tons of things to do and explore on the farm. I had the opportunity to live on the organic farm for five days during my DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) pre-orientation trip and had so much fun. My group and I learned how the farm operates, picked and sautéed vegetables, and swam in the river. For more information about the organic farm visit http://www.dartmouth.edu/~doc/organicfarm/

Robert Frost Statue

Not many people know that the famous poet Robert Frost spent a few brief months here at Dartmouth as a student. Although he eventually left, he remains a member of the class of 1896. At Dartmouth, if you matriculate, you remain a member of that class forever.

My favorite unconventional place at Dartmouth has to be the Robert Frost statue. If ever I am feeling overwhelmed or just a little lethargic, a quick walk up to his statue refreshes me. It sits in one of the most peaceful wooded areas of the campus, right next to an old stone tower, the site of the Lone Pine (one of the oldest symbols of Dartmouth), and the BEMA, the site of many graduation traditions. In any case, the statue has always been a serene place I can go to clear my head, and not enough Dartmouth students know about it!

Picture by Joe Mehling '69
http://ask.dartmouth.edu/categories/alumni/17.html