Asa Palmer '98 has decided there are more important things to learn from Dartmouth than what can be taught inside a classroom, and, because of his plethora of campus activities, has had very little time left to study.
"I wasn't put on this earth to write papers," he told the Dartmouth.
Palmer, hailing from Belmont, Mass., is best known as the six-foot-eight starting center and co-captain of the College's basketball team, which had a 7-19 record this season.
Basketball has consumed most of Palmer's free time, and a large part of what remains has been devoted to his diverse interests and activities.
Palmer has been involved with Dartmouth's Adopt-a-Grandparent program. The program aims to provide "grandparents" with more contact with the world around them by allowing students to meet and to speak with older members of the community at their homes or in retirement communities.
Palmer is also a member of Palaeopitus, an organization that gives the College's administration insight into campus issues.
Upon arriving at Dartmouth, Palmer began experimenting in the Studio Art Department, and developed an interest in Studio Art so intense he calls himself an "unofficial Studio Art minor."
If he had known how much he would enjoy Studio Art when he began taking the department's classes, he may have decided to major in it, Palmer said.
"I regret not taking it more seriously," he said.
Palmer called Studio Art "one of the most satisfying things" he has done while at Dartmouth.
"It is one of the few subjects where I feel I got a proportionate return on the amount of time put in," he said.
The ability to take thoughts and emotions and translate them into two or three dimensions is the most appealing aspect of creative art, Palmer said.
"It really gives you a rush," he said.
It is no wonder, then, that Palmer will be moving to Vermont Academy next year to intern as an art teacher. He will also coach basketball and live in a dormitory as a dorm parent. The thought of trying to be a parental figure to kids only four or five years younger than he is seems uncomfortable, Palmer said.
Before beginning his teaching job in the fall, Palmer will spend his summer in Greece doing community service and educational projects with 40 high school students. The students will work in under-privileged villages and towns while studying the nation's ruins and ancient civilization, Palmer said.
Palmer said he thinks his experience at Dartmouth has made him even more comfortable around his peers and elders, but has not drastically changed him.
"I came in with a certain set of values and that is one thing that stayed the whole way through," Palmer said.
Dartmouth has, however, helped Palmer further a personal goal of making the people around him as comfortable as possible.
"I know myself that much better." he said. "I have gained a much better understanding of myself, which allows me to have a better effect on people around me."
"Some of the most important things we come away with from Dartmouth are our relationships, our interactions with other people, and, whatever environment I am in, I have always tried to make that the priority," he said.
