Dartmouth Direct

Welcome Home!

Posted by Vanessa Trinh at 5:08 pm No Responses »

Dec 062012

This post goes out to all the Dartmouth students that are now home for the holidays with this year’s new Academic Calendar extending from Thanksgiving to New Years as well as to the brand new ’17s that are, as of today, part of our Dartmouth family! Congratulations! I am excited to meet the DC- area ’17s at the Dartmouth Club of DC Holiday Party coming up next week.

As I finish up my time at home in DC this fall quarter, I have realized how crazy fast the time has gone by. After having this “real life” job, I am ready to go back and enjoy my time as a student for a little while longer. Although I have learned so much more in these past ten weeks than I could have imagined I would, I also miss my friends, my sorority and my classes that didn’t start until ten and were only a few steps outside my door. Get ready ’17s, for a fantastic college experience, whether you are in Hanover or taking off-terms in cities all over the world, take advantage of all of it! We’re all waiting to see what you’ll do.

Also, say ‘Hi!’ on campus!

Guest Welcome: Chris O’Connell ’13

Posted by Dartmouth Admissions at 1:43 pm No Responses »

Dec 062012

Chris O’Connell ’13 is the director of the Dartmouth Outing Club’s First-Year Trips Program.

Class of 2017 – Welcome to Dartmouth!

Congratulations on your acceptance and for getting through one of the more stressful parts of high school! I remember how overwhelmingly crazy this time of year was with college decisions, so I hope you have had a few minutes to relax, celebrate, and get as excited as you possibly can for your next four years in Hanover.

Students gather on the lawn of Robinson Hall for the start of their DOC Trip.

My name is Chris O’Connell and I am the director of the Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips Program – usually just known as “Trips.” I am SO incredibly excited for you all to come to Dartmouth in 8ish months. It seems like a long ways away (…because it is), but it will fly by and before you know it, we’ll be welcoming you to campus for your First-Year Trip!

DOC First-Year Trips first got its start in 1935 when some older students involved in the College’s outing club invited some new students to go hiking with them before the school year started. Since then, the program has evolved, grown, and expanded to be much more than exploring the beautiful New Hampshire outdoors – Trips is an introduction to the College’s traditions, a fun way to meet other ‘17s, and (most importantly) an exciting welcome into this community…your community!

Each Trip is 5 days long and takes place right before the College’s official orientation program in late August/early September. The program is entirely student-run: 60 support crew members, 300 trip leaders, and countless other student volunteers make DOC Trips an incredibly memorable and exciting experience for the incoming class. Each trip has two, well-trained, upperclassmen leaders & 7-10 new students. Don’t worry if you haven’t been in the wilderness before – we offer trips of all levels and varieties, everything from Cabin Camping to Whitewater Kayaking to Community Service to Mountain Biking. We have added a lot of different types of trips over the years, so we hope you’ll find one that interests you!

The hiking trip I had the chance to lead as a sophomore!

I’m a member of the (great) Class of 2013, so it was only four years ago that I went on my own DOC Trip – rock climbing! I had never been climbing before, but I had the chance to learn and check out a beautiful portion of the Appalachian Trail. Three years ago, I got to lead a hiking trip in the White Mountains and had a blast leading a group of freshmen through their first days at Dartmouth. The experience you can have on your DOC Trips is one of Dartmouth’s most unique traditions — it’s a great way to get introduced to people different from yourself, learn about the Dartmouth community, and get connected to upperclassmen who can help you out during your time at the College.

Everyone’s experience with DOC Trips is different, but we are working very hard to welcome YOU – whoever you are, wherever you came from, whoever you want to be in college – to your new home at Dartmouth. Registration materials (with dates & details) for Trips will be sent to you later in 2013, but for now – enjoy this moment and get excited for an incredible four years!

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to campus next fall! Enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Chris O’Connell ‘13

P.S. Can’t get enough of Dartmouth right now? Check out our Trips blog for more stories, photos, and excitement!

Faces of Dartmouth’s Latino/a Community

Posted by Dartmouth Admissions at 10:05 am No Responses »

Nov 142012

Christopher Norman ‘13
Hometown: San Francisco, California

Academic Interests: Geography & Sociology majors

Campus Involvements: Undergraduate Advisor , Rockefeller Leadership Fellow, Casque and Gauntlet Senior Society, Latino Ivy League Conference Head Delegate, First Year Student Enrichment Program (FYSEP) mentor, Former, President and Vice President of La Alianza Latina, Men of Color Alliance, Faith In Action Alternative Spring Break trip leader , Diversity Peer Leadership Program, Geography Foreign Study Program to Prague, Czech Republic, SEAD (Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth) mentor, Former DREAM mentor, Former America Reads tutor

What does “Latino” mean to you? To me, being Latino means being willing to express and learn about the developing history and culture of one of the U.S.’s fastest growing populations. The meaning of Latino changes depending on your context—from the various Mexican expressions characterized by West Coast influences, to Puerto Rican communities cultivating their culture in New York—Latino identity is shaped by its surroundings. While these nuances exist, the strength in being Latino is in knowing that these populations share parts of their languages, cultures, and histories—and that makes the identity all the stronger.

Describe Dartmouth in three words: Unique, Challenging, Enlightening

Favorite aspect of Dartmouth: The students here come from all over the world, and I’ve had the chance to hear so many of their experiences, challenges, aspirations, and perspectives on the people they are and how they’ve grown. I’ve learned so much from my impressive, motivated peers.

H. Gustavo Ruiz Llopiz ‘14
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Academic Interests: Government major/ minor Education

Campus Involvements: Dartmouth for UNICEF, President, Dartmouth Black and Latino Business Alliance, Treasurer, Student and Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault

What does “Latino” mean to you? For me, being Latino means having an extended family of millions of people across borders.

Describe Dartmouth in three words: Challenging, Fast-paced, Welcoming

Favorite aspect of Dartmouth: My favorite aspect of Dartmouth is the number of leadership opportunities it has to offer.

Daniela Hernández ‘15
Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Academic Interests: Hispanic Studies – Spanish Literature | Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies

Campus Involvements: Ballet Folklórico de Dartmouth, Dartmouth Fashion Council, First-Year Student Enrichment Program, La Alianza Latina, Sexperts

What does “Latino” mean to you? Being Latina is definitely one of the first words that I use to describe myself. I use this term because it encompasses my history, culture, and struggles in a way that is open-ended yet extremely specific at the same time. Paradoxically, being a Latino means having history and traits link you to almost every race in the world, without actually being part of only one race or people. This term reminds me that I am multi-faceted and that I do not have to be defined by any labels or classifications that others wish to impose on me.

Describe Dartmouth in three words: Challenging, life-changing, and a blessing.

Favorite aspect of Dartmouth: I love the relationship that Dartmouth has with its students. From the first moment that I stepped on campus I immediately felt the positive, friendly, and inviting atmosphere that the students, faculty, and campus projected. I think that Dartmouth has the ability to make anyone feel at home, even through the rough times.

Francisco J. Herrera, Jr. ‘13
Hometown: Miami, Florida

Academic Interests: Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies Major, Chemistry Minor

Campus Involvements: First Year Student Enrichment Program mentor, La Alianza Latina, MEChA, Latin@ Partnership for Success, Spanish Drill Instructor, Novack Café Sales Associate, Undergraduate Advisor to the, LALACS Affinity House, Chemistry & Calculus tutor

What does “Latino” mean to you? I think being Latino is about having a family that at some point came to the US from Latin America. That being said, when I think about how I live my Latino-ness, I think of Nicaraguan and Caribbean food, Spanish music and literatures, dancing, laughing, being careful with my money and some more laughing.

Describe Dartmouth in three words: Challenging, Opportunity, Forests

Favorite aspect of Dartmouth: My favorite aspect of Dartmouth is that even though it can be extremely challenging, you can always find help when you need it.

Adriana Flores ‘13
Hometown: Eugene, OR, prior to that Los Angeles, CA, from El Salvador

Academic Interests: Spanish Major, Italian Minor

Campus Involvements: Cru Christian Group, Epsilon Kappa Theta Sorority, Panhellenic Council, House Manager and Usher for the Hopkins Center, Italian Drill Instructor, Gospel Choir, Sunday School Volunteer at Christ Redeemer Church

What does “Latino” mean to you? Latino means coming from a background of Latin America, whether you were born abroad or in the U.S. Being Latino means that your family or part of it speaks Spanish or Spanglish! Latino, to me, means strength, family, courage because in my opinion Latinos are a diverse and strong group of people.

Describe Dartmouth in three words: Challenging, diverse, community

Favorite aspect of Dartmouth: My favorite aspect about Dartmouth is the smaller communities that I am able to be a part of. I have found friendships and many people that I’ve come to consider almost my family.

Already winding down…

Posted by Anoush Arakelian at 11:11 pm No Responses »

Nov 072012

The bonfire during the day. Organizations add their own board with names of their members. The ’16′s ran around this up to 116 times that night!

And as per usual, the term has flown by! We are now in the last week with finals looming overhead. Two weeks ago was homecoming! This is possibly the most fun weekend at Dartmouth because all of the recent graduates return to campus to check out the bonfire and go to the football game. My friends who were on their off terms all returned and it was quite an enjoyable reunion. The traditions surrounding homecoming are what make homecoming. Each year the freshmen class builds a bonfire with their year on top. Organizations add boards with the names of their members and a huge structure is erected virtually overnight. Then, at night, it is lit and the freshmen are supposed to run around the bonfire 100 times plus their year of graduation. So, this year it was 116 laps, the equivalent of almost a half marathon! Believe it or not, many of the students do complete the feat, while others opt for only a few laps.

This past week I have been working non-stop on a student play called “True American Love” written by Laura Neill ’13. It is a work in progress and will be premiering this weekend. It is so interesting to be a part of this senior’s artistic process and be one of four people to premier the piece! It has been an experience that has truly made me value the talent of the people around me. A ’15 is directing, a ’14 is doing costume design, and the cast is made up of all grades. I am constantly impressed by my fellow classmates! It has also been cool because professors have come in and out of our rehearsal process to help us as actors, help Laura rewrite the script, and generally just show us how things come together in the theater. The experience has been an incredible process!

As for fun things – this past weekend I ran my first half marathon! I came a long way from my first 10K this summer. My friends and I drove down to Manchester as a part of D.E.R.T or Dartmouth Endurance Racing Team to the Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon. We ended up competing with many people from the New York Marathon, as it was cancelled due to hurricane Sandy! After finishing this, I am unsure if I will ever be able to run a full marathon, but the training has been a blast! Especially when you get to see views like the one below on your run each day!

The little things…

Posted by Anoush Arakelian at 9:13 am No Responses »

Oct 192012

A spontaneous photo in between classes. Look how pretty the leaves are (and Danny)!

It is the little things that can truly make your day at Dartmouth. After studying for two Neuroscience classes and spending the majority of my days in the theater department, it is nice to get outside and just enjoy the weather. It is easy to forget that people travel all the way to Hanover just to see the leaves turn, and we have the luxury of living right here! My runs into Norwich and Etna have gotten increasingly more enjoyable as the leaves have turned and the weather has stayed nice. My favorite thing to do is going on long runs every Saturday morning with my friend. It is a great start to the weekend and extremely beautiful!

I just got through working on the HOP 50th production called “Igniting Imagination.” Me and three other girls from my a cappella group – The Rockapellas – had the pleasure of introducing Aisha Tyler ’92 (from Friends and Archer) to host the evening. We re-wrote the lyrics to our traditional song as an introduction – Ella’s Song by Sweet Honey in the Rock, as Tyler was a founding member of the group. We also got to listen to performances by Rachel Dratch from SNL and Jennifer Leigh Warren from the original Broadway Cast of Little Shop of Horrors. It was even more amazing to be able to hang out with them after the show as we all celebrated the success of the two productions afterwards! We sold out the first show and the second show was filled almost to capacity. I have never had so much fun performing and being able to watch all of my talented classmates!

Me and many of the performers from Igniting Imagination!

I am also very excited about this upcoming week because my friend, Kelly, and I have been planning an incredible event for Women’s Forum! Kelly is on the women’s soccer team and really wanted athletes to start attending more of Women’s Forum’s events. She put together a discussion on Title IX and finding your feminism through what makes you passionate for this Monday, featuring comedian, Cindy Pierce. It has been incredible to collaborate with the administration and the Athletic Department and I cannot wait to see all of our work come to fruition!

Fall in DC

Posted by Vanessa Trinh at 2:11 pm No Responses »

Oct 112012

Well, unlike many of the other posts on here, my junior fall at Dartmouth is not actually at Dartmouth! I’m taking the Fall off, courtesy of the D-Plan, and working in Washington, DC. I’m interning at both the Department of State and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, for a total of at least 60 hours a week.

Overseas Private Investment Corporation

I’m a DC area native so I’m living at home with my parents and taking the metro every day to commute.

I know, I’m absolutely crazy. I go to State at 8 AM and leave at 4 PM for OPIC and work until at least 8 PM there! Thankfully, all of my friends are at school or the ones in DC are also working weekdays so I get to just come home and eat a home cooked meal before crashing into bed.

So far though, it’s been an awesome experience! Both of the internships are really interesting and I’m learning a lot every day. Most days I’m so busy doing work that I look up and its 7:30 already and I didn’t even notice. I know that if the jobs weren’t as interesting the 12 hour days would be dreadful so I’m thankful they are.

U.S. Department of State

I’ve already been able to meet with the Ambassador of Panama, help with a North African entrepreneurship program, assist with multilateral agreements like the TPP and learn about development projects around the world.

The Assistant Secretary of the Bureau I work in is actually a Dartmouth grad and was really excited to have a Dartmouth intern, so it’s just another example of the Big Green network that extends across the world. It’s crazy that I get to take things I learned about in government and economics classes at school and actually see them in action here at State and OPIC, and it helps me realize how lucky I am to be a Dartmouth student and the opportunties off-terms give me. So far, it’s all been so rewarding!

Famous Faces at Dartmouth

Posted by KBradshaw at 4:03 am No Responses »

Oct 072012

One of the most undervalued opportunities at Dartmouth, I’ve found, are guest lecturers.

In the past two weeks, I got the chance to hear from Joe Biden, Richard L. Bushman, and Zainab Salbi, three individuals whose work has had a positive impact on the world.

I’m sure lots of people heard about the Joe Biden speech–or rather, Jill Biden’s gaffe that left the college-age audience chuckling unapologetically. The link can be found here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IKfH_E-NsFQ

Less well known, was a lecture given by one of my personal heroes, Richard L. Bushman, who is a celebrity within the intellectual Mormon circuit. He talked about Mormonism and American politics, which is of course relevant due to the whole Mitt Romney campaign. Bushman is best known for his meticulously-researched biography of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling. I had actually met his wife Claudia at a Mormon feminist retreat the weekend before, so I was not as terrified as I otherwise might have been to go introduce myself after the presentation (normally I’m kind of shy).

One of the most inspiring talks I’ve heard in a long time came from Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International. The story she told about her efforts to start an international organization to help women in war zones was incredibly inspiring and and reminded me why I came to Dartmouth in the first place–because I believed that with the right training and education, I too could make a difference. She offered profound advice–I’m paraphrasing here, but she said something along the lines of, “Saving the world is not a warrior’s journey. You must get off the horse and put the armor down–the world won’t change out of anger, only out of love.” I left the presentation feeling inspired and able to recommit to my sometimes exhausting service-oriented endeavors.

I’m so grateful that I have such amazing opportunities to listen to the voices of such amazing people who are finding ways of doing good in the world in their respective fields. Presentations like those mentioned above help me to become more and more cognizant of the fact that there are, in fact, plenty of other ways to have a meaningful, service-oriented career that do not, in fact, involve medical school.

Celebrities from a variety of different sectors visit Dartmouth, sharing knowledge and advice with students.

Junior Fall

Posted by KBradshaw at 3:05 am No Responses »

Oct 072012

Changing colors signal the end of summer and the start of fall term chaos.

Compared to the summer term, when many of my extracurricular commitments were dormant for the quarter, there’s a frantic energy that arrives with the new faces and exhausting enthusiasm of the freshman class and the crispening air of autumn breezes. Gone are the days of Sophomore Summer when I could walk through the Collis dining hall and order my post-run smoothie without having to wait in line. However, the constant buzz of energized students really does help me stay motivated. Right now, I’m thrilled about all of the extracurriculars I’m involved in. Even though there’s a secret part of me that senses I might be overcommitted, I’m still enthralled with my commitments in a type of pre-midterms honeymoon phase. Currently, my extracurriculars include:

1) working as a UGA. This is essentially an RA position, but Dartmouthspeak insists on its own vernacular, and so I am an Undergradudate Advisor instead. I am partly responsible for the well-being of 35 upperclass residents living in Andres, which is part of the East Wheelock housing cluster. My favorite part is organizing events for my residents—yesterday we had a movie night and tomorrow we’ll be going for a short hike.

2) Students Fighting Hunger. During the summer term I was the organization chair, but luckily I have 3 other co-chairs this term. This organization plans and cooks a community dinner for low-income individuals every Friday evening. My favorite part is when we get to sit down to eat with our regular attendees and chat. It’s a great way to get out of the “Dartmouth bubble” and get to know local residents.

3) Multi-Faith Council. This group meets once every week (over a free dinner) to discuss a different topic related to faith and spirituality. Some of my most meaningful discussions at Dartmouth have taken place here, listening to my Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Atheist friends, among others, talk about their faith journeys and perspectives.

4) DCGHSE (Dartmouth Coalition for Global Health and Social Equity). This group meets once per week to discuss current issues relating to global health. Every week there is a different student presentation on a project or experience on a health-related issue and a subsequent discussion. I’ve learned tons regarding issues of sustainable development, HIV/AIDS, microlending, technology and medicine, and healthcare in general. I love that the group is super interdisciplinary—it’s not all pre-meds, by any means.

5) Project Preservation. This was initially a short-term venture in which I attended weekly training sessions to prepare for a trip to Poland to restore a Jewish cemetery that had been abandoned during the Holocaust. After having an incredible experience there, I am now doing research on the town that we visited, Korczyna, and am trying to piece together a better understanding of the Jewish community in the town preceding the events of the Holocaust.

6) Fostering Hope. This is a new organization that my friend Alice and I are in the process of organizing, in which we plan to work with local foster youth and spread awareness regarding at-risk youth including orphans and vulnerable children both domestically and abroad.

7) LDSSA (Latter-Day Saint Student Association). As a member of my church community, I’m involved in the social organization of my LDS church group. We meet together for church, Institute—an academic bible study program, and once a week for what we call Family Home Evening—mostly an excuse to hang out and chill for a bit. We also have an intramural soccer team this term—yes, we’re the Stormin’ Mormons. And yes, we got slaughtered by the Matholes. No shame. Well, maybe a little….

8) I also babysit once per week for a parent support group at DHMC (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center), which is fantastic because I get to escape the library by watching Disney movies and entertaining kids with finger puppets and crayons.

So after reading through all of this, I realized this kind of sounds like a resume, which was not my intention AT ALL. While you should realize that there will be plenty of Dartmouth kids who will tell you that LinkedIn is the new Facebook, that’s not really my style. The point I’m trying to make is that there are sooo many incredible opportunities to engage with topics and questions you’re interested in outside class—and even though this sounds cliché, I’m confident that if you open yourself up to the incredible opportunities waiting all around you, you’ll learn more at Dartmouth than you ever imagined, both inside and outside the classroom.

More blog entries to come! I promise!

Everything But Classes…

Posted by Anoush Arakelian at 2:52 pm No Responses »

Oct 032012

And to no surprise it is midterm season already. I am a junior and I am still not used to how quickly these terms fly by! My time has been mostly devoted to the Theater department this term, which has been awesome. I am currently stage managing “The Lifers” by Maia Matsushita ’13. This is the same writer as the play that I stage managed this summer! She was granted a “Your Space” through the Bentley Theater. This means that she gets funding from the theater department to get props, rent the space, publicize, and put on a two night production! I was also cast in a student written show called “Contract” which will be produced in early November.

Another student organization I am involved in is called the Hill Winds Society. This is a group that was created to act as a liaison between alumni and students. I am also a connection student for the class of 1992 through HWS. Along with a current member of Hill Winds, I meet with the class of 1992 every time they come up to campus. This past weekend I met with the Class Officers who were up for Class Officers Weekend. The excitement that these alums have when they come up each year is just a testament to the fact that Dartmouth never leaves you. That is probably one of my favorite parts of being in Hill Winds and going to Dartmouth. The legacy and community left behind is quite incredible.

Words of Wisdom brought together women across all classes for a night of dinner and discussion.

Women’s Forum got off to a great start with our first meeting this past Monday. The term started off with a big dinner called “Words of Wisdom,” in which all the women’s groups on campus came together for a lecture and dinner. Wise words were shared by upperclassmen and it was a great chance for the ’16′s to meet some inspirational women on campus. We are looking forward to hosting some influential campus leaders and students in the coming weeks to discuss everything from Title IX to the elections.

Junior Fall!

Posted by Anoush Arakelian at 12:56 pm No Responses »

Sep 142012

With little to no transition time from sophomore summer, it is now my junior fall! I trained to become a UGA (undergraduate advisor) or an RA for a freshman dorm during the interim. My freshmen are truly revitalizing my view of Dartmouth and getting me excited to experience new things this term. I had almost forgotten that each term at Dartmouth promises change, new activities, and new friends.

My freshmen at Matriculation. The time when students shake the president’s hand and become true Dartmouth students!

I am most excited about a few things this fall. First off is A Cappella auditions! My group, the Dartmouth Rockapellas are back on campus and recruiting like crazy. Tomorrow are our all day auditions. There are five groups that girls can audition for and the auditions go for three round and 24 hours. It is so much time, but so much fun. Our group has been raising money for the past three years to go on a service trip to Nepal. This year, our work has come to fruition and we are leaving in November to backpack across the country! Secondly, Women’s Forum is back in full swing. We are working on our upcoming weekly dinner and discussion series which will premier next week. Some of the topics include Title IX and a speech by Anne Marie Slaughter, author of the controversial article “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All.” (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/) Lastly, I am SO excited about my classes. I am taking the Neuroscience of Mental Illness, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Costume Design. Each class has been equally as exciting and I cannot wait to dive further into the depths of my major.

The Rockapellas and Aires at an a cappella ice cream social.

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