A Mouth as BIG as All Outdoors

This past weekend I went to a student performance at The Hopkins Center of Performing Arts with none other then our very own Craig Lee! The "Hop" usually provides a diverse variety of performances for the College, and this show was no exception. The show was a compilation of Absurdist scenes and sketches by Becket, Chekhov and Ionesco. The plays were very unique and when considered out of context, absurd!

However, with a little background information their true beauty shone. Absurdist style came about as a reaction to World War II. The belief sprung forth that humans existed without understanding, purpose or direction in their vast world. Absurdist playwrights took this sentiment into account and wrote plays which, at the surface, seem chaotic and meaningless. Yet, beyond their initial shocking nature they convey themes that reflect the human experience.

Happily, Craig and I were able to muse over the colorful set and costumes, creative choreography (which we later recreated while walking down Main Street), and funny non-sensical script that held a much deeper meaning. After leaving the performance, we were impressed by what we'd seen and truly impressed that a Dartmouth student had contributed his own one act to the compilation (his work rivaled that of the traditional Absurdist). We were also confused and unanimously agreed that we had never experienced a performance quite like the grab-bag version of The Theater of the Absurd.

Ultimately this production embodies what our center for performing arts is all about. We exhibit student work with pride, add new experience and variety to your learning, and bring in performers and tradition from around the world. For instance, the performance that occurred simultaneously in the auditorium next to ours was entitled The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music Sacred Dance.

Why I Chose Dartmouth

Hi my name is Adria, and I'm a rising senior from Los Angeles, CA. Students often ask why I chose Dartmouth, and it's a great question. Here are my reasons:
1.) I wanted to get away-- my parents and I both knew I was the nest-fleeing-type... they didn't even let me apply to any schools in California, pushing me to explore out of state.
2.) I really wanted to play volleyball-- it was the one thing I knew I wanted to continue in college, and my final decision came down to the best school ultimately, and where I could also play volleyball.
3.) I wanted to explore a new part of the country-- I had never been to the New England area, and after visiting, I found the town similar to one I had grown up in while living in Washington State. I enjoyed the community feel, the trees and the fresh air (LA can get a little stuffy).
I am really happy with the decision to attend Dartmouth, and hopefully, through our posts and asking questions, you'll be able to see if Dartmouth is also right for you.

Reading Harry Potter, don't worry no spoilers

I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I was at the bookstore in town this past Friday at midnight, waiting in line (though not dressed up) for the final copy of Harry Potter. I probably walked out of the store at 12:45am and proceeded to immediately begin reading.

For those night-owl hours, I was flipping through the pages in various chairs and rooms in our new dorm cluster, the McLaughlin Cluster. Completed last fall, they are absolutely amazing. I'm a nomadic reader and studier; I can't stay put in one spot for that often, so I was pleased with all the various study rooms, lounges and kitchen spaces in the new dorm cluster for me to read in. Moving around every so often keeps my attention span and breaks up those reading/studying blocks. But once daylight finally broke, I knew that the rest of the book would be read outside.

There's just something about being in Hanover for the summer that makes you want to be outside, probably to make up for the winter. And that's the best thing about Dartmouth, there's so much nature and outdoors around, it's pretty effortless to experience it. It's not in our backyard, it is our yard. Every hour I'd move to a new spot, reading on the Green, reading by the River, reading by the Robert Frost statue . . . and it took me no time to move from place to place.

My close friend back up to Dartmouth visiting from New York City that weekend, also reading HP, mentioned how she missed being so close to trees and the outside, as she needed to make a concerted effort to head over to Central Park for nature. You don't need to make that concerted effort at Dartmouth, it's all around. And to varying degrees. Yes, you can go on sunrise hikes and summit a mountain, yes you can join our "Bait and Bullet" club (hunting and fishing), but you don't have to if you don't want to. It's great that we here have the choice and environment to support that, but for me, sitting on a bench outside reading a book is all the outdoors that I need.

Pre-Med at Dartmouth

Hi, everyone!

I'd like to address one of the questions I am often asked while working in the admissions office. Many prospective Dartmouth students are curious about what the college has to offer in the way of pre-medical programs. While we do not have a specific pre-med major or an accelerated program of study, we do offer a pre-med track of all of the courses necessary to prepare a student considering a career in health professions, and the Dartmouth Medical School and nearby Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center provide undergraduates with great research opportunities.

We also have the Nathan Smith Society, the pre-medical society with which many of our pre-med students are involved and which provides advising, information, and internship opportunities to students. You can learn more about the Nathan Smith Society at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nss/. Women can also find science related opportunities through WISP (Women in Science Project) at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wisp/index.html.

Hope this helps!

Dana Cushing '08

Welcome!

Hi Everyone!


I would like to welcome you to Dartmouth's new 2007-2008 blog! This summer and throughout the year, Dartmouth Admission's Senior Interns will be writing regularly to keep you updated about Admissions news, answer some of your most commonly asked questions, and clue you in to campus life here in Hanover!

As of this year, Dartmouth College Admissions is no longer offering on-campus interviews to prospective students. Because of this decision, the Admissions Office created a new "Student Forum," which allows prospective students to sit down with two Senior Interns, who are current students at the College, and ask any and all questions they want answered, without parents or Admissions Officers in the room. The forums have been going fabulously, and students have so many good questions that we created this blog to share with you answers to some of the most common questions that we receive. We hope you enjoy reading about the work we do in the office and about what we're up to in Hanover!
Below are short bios and some of the things we're involved in at Dartmouth:


Elise Braunschweig ‘08
Euclid, OH
Euclid High School

Geography Major, Public Policy Minor

Project Opportunity – Founder, Dartmouth Ends Hunger, Lose the Shoes, Grassroot Soccer Intern, Rockefeller Center Public Policy Research Shop, Tour Guide, DOC Trip Leader, Delta Delta Delta, Dartmouth Wind Symphony, Robinson Internship Grant (Dominican Republic), Spanish LSA (Barcelona, Spain)


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Adria N. Buchanan
Los Angeles, CA
Pacific Hills High School

Geography Major, Public Policy Minor

NAACP Dartmouth Chapter – President, Rockefeller Center Outreach Intern, Dickey Center International Fellow (Costa Rica), Alternative Spring Break (Biloxi, MS), Dartmouth Dining Services, GreenCorp$, Varsity Volleyball, Diversity Peer Program, Casque and Gauntlet


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Dana Cushing '08
Killington, VT
Woodstock Union High School

Psychology Major, Studio Art Minor

Fusion Dance Ensemble, Alpha Xi Delta – Executive Committee, Tour Guide, DOC Trip Leader, Hopkins Center House Manager, Tuck School Psychology Research Assistant, French LSA+ (Toulouse, France)


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Craig Lee ‘08
Arlington Heights, IL
Buffalo Grove High School

Art History modified with Geography Major, Studio Art Minor

Undergraduate Advisor, Council on Student Organizations, First-Year Office Intern, Tour Guide, Richter Memorial Fund Research Grant, DOC Trip Leader, Alternative Winter Break (Biloxi, MS), Green Key Society, Art History FSP (Rome, Italy)