Last night, six senior women spoke about their different perspectives of life at the College to about 100 people in 105 Dartmouth Hall.
Jen Collins '94, a computer science major and co-chair of the Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Organization, said being DaGLO's co-chair has had a heavy influence on her Dartmouth experience.
Being co-chair of DaGLO is "hard and rewarding in small and incredible ways," Collins said. "I think and hope that I've been able to educate some people and I also have been educated."
Collins said a big part of her experience at the College was reading the mission statement at this year's Take Back the Night March, a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week.
"There are too many strong, creative, brilliant, amazing women" who have been victims of sexual assault, she said.
Speaking next at the discussion -- "Will the Women of Dartmouth Please Stand Up?" -- women's lacrosse co-Captain Lauren Holleran '95 talked about how participating in athletics had a positive effect on her Dartmouth experience.
"There is a whole other education that comes from athletics," she said. "I learned an incredible work ethic through sports."
Diana Sabot '95, a creative writing major, Rhodes Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa, spoke about the difficulty of finding a balance between finding your own interests and participation in their community.
"At the core of everything is one tension: turning inside and turning outside and reaching outward," she said. "How do you balance a life of writing and a life of activism?"
Sabot said that she is still undecided about what she thinks about her Dartmouth experience.
"The way I feel about Dartmouth is still unresolved," she said. "There have been so many missed opportunities. There is so much going on all the time."
Toshalyn Watson '95, a double major in English and history, culture education chair for the Afro-American Society and one of the directors of the Gospel Choir, spoke next and told the audience to find their own place at the College.
"Your experience at Dartmouth is what you make it," she said. "You have to find a place for yourself. No one can define what it is that you are here for."
Jenny Chun '95, who is in the process of writing a Senior Fellow on Korean-American Women, told the audience to remember who has helped them get to where they are now.
"We didn't get to where we are without any help," she said. "Realize that many people have helped us along the way. As others have helped us, we must help others."
The final speaker in the panel was La Alianza Latina President Ana Henderson '94, a Presidential Scholar and a Phi Beta Kappa.
Henderson said when she first arrived at the College she did not think that others were receptive to ideas.
"Despite the fact that I thought no one would listen, I started making noise and people started listening," she said.
"When you want to do something here or anywhere don't let others stop you," Henderson said. "Just believe in yourself. If you believe in something just do it."
