Already practiced at the arts of jazz and neuroscience before he arrived at the College, Amar Dhand '01 has now branched out into school politics as president of the 2001 Class Council.
After arriving at Dartmouth, Dhand, who played tenor saxophone at the Canadian Royal Conservatory and submitted an original paper on movement-related disorders to a medical journal, was selected to be a freshman representative of the River cluster. The council then elected him president on his platform of class unification.
Though he is still uncertain as to the specifics of what he wants to do after graduation, Dhand said he knows he wants to work in the field of neuroscience.
He said he first thought he should become a doctor, because he wanted to help people. But he later realized that through doing research, which he enjoyed more, he could help just as many people as he could practicing medicine.
"Research indirectly helps people. It opens doors for the practitioner," Dhand said.
Dhand worked in a neuroscience laboratory for the two summers before he arrived here, so research is nothing new to him.
After the first summer, he decided to author a paper on various treatments for movement-related disorders. He worked for over a year on the 15-page paper, which has been accepted for publication in the medical journal Parkinsonism and Related Movement Disorders.
Aside from his pursuits of science, Dhand is very interested in music, especially jazz. He began his musical career with piano lessons when he was five years old.
At 13, he took up the tenor saxophone, and he has continued with it ever since. Until ninth grade, he studied with the Royal Conservatory.
Last term, Dhand played the baritone saxophone in the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble. Though Dhand said he enjoyed playing baritone sax, the tenor remains his real interest.
He put his work with the Barbary Coast on hold so he would have more time for other interests, such as downhill and cross country skiing.
"We [Canadians] identify ourselves with the rough outdoor spirit," he said.
Dhand's varied interests are one of the reasons he decided to come to Dartmouth, where he said he can pursue a liberal arts education "quite intensively."
Because he plans to study neuroscience, Dhand said he will probably major in a non-science field.
"If I do become a doctor, I'll have the rest of my life to study any science I desire. So I want to make the most of this time."
Dhand said he wanted to serve his class as president "to contribute to the continuously changing atmosphere of our school."
Along with the Class Council, Dhand developed what is known as "the number-one plan," named for the freshman class' year. The plan is a series of events is meant to bring the class together.
The goal of unification led the Council to participate in Campus of Difference program, which fostered interaction between different campus groups.
The Council's treasurer, Debra Brodsky '01, said Dhand "is very involved in Class Council and is always on top of everything."
Erin Roeder '01, who serves on the Council with Dhand, said he is always studious and committed to his work. But, she said, she is sometimes able to distract him. Once, according to Roeder, while studying at the library, she and another friend had to take to dancing on tables to make Dhand stop studying and go out.
