At Dartmouth, undergraduates are required to complete physical education requirements in order to graduate. For some, the requirement is a headache. For others, it’s an opportunity to get creative — learning to fly fish, play pickleball or become an amateur sailor.
Alexandra Surprenant ’25 played pickleball and learned to fly fish for her PE requirements. She said that these graduation requirements are a great way to spend time with friends, meet new people and stay active.
“I think at Dartmouth, it's pretty easy to hang out with the same group of people everyday,” Surprenant said. “I think PE courses are a great chance to get out of that rhythm, meet new people and also get to know the instructors.”
Aran Flaherty ’25 said that even after fulfilling her requirements, she continued to partake in the PE courses Dartmouth has to offer.
“I was a First Year Trips leader twice, I also play club lacrosse — if you go to a certain number of practices you’re eligible to get credit,” Flaherty said. “I also did sailing sophomore summer, just for fun. Then I did pilates and a spin class sophomore year, just for fun and to stay fit in a structured way, because I already had the credits.”
Flaherty’s first time manning the ropes of a sailboat was during sophomore summer on Mascoma Lake.
“Sailing was new and scary,” she said. “It’s a physical activity but also very mental. Having to learn what ropes to pull and understanding the wind, definitely scared me.”
Francina Kolluri ’25 completed both of her credits this year by taking a meditation course and yoga course.
“I was definitely looking for something a bit out of my comfort zone,” she said. “It’s been really nice exploring these practices that you don't really get to do unless you seek them out as an adult. … Being able to create space for stopping and peace [is so] nice, even though you’re dealing with the crazy Dartmouth term.”
Some students opt to pursue activities they already know and love. Long-time skier Anne Guidera ’25, for example, joined Club Alpine Ski.
“I thought upon graduating high school I was done with my ski racing career, but coming to Dartmouth allowed me to have easy access to mountains and ski areas,” Guidera said.
The quest for completing PE credits results in experiences that are fundamental to the Dartmouth experience, according to Flaherty.
“The most memorable ones were definitely sailing and leading trips,” Flaherty said. “They get you outside and I feel like they are so Dartmouth, like once in a lifetime — so they definitely positively impacted my Dartmouth experience.”
For Guidera, these memorable experiences came from a culmination of bonds with fellow skiers and overnight trips to Jay Peak, Vt.
“I have made so many great friends from participating in Club Ski,” Guidera said. “From weekly practices and fun overnight trips to faraway ski races.”
At times, the experiences were even rather bizarre.
“On the last day of sailing, one of my friends got hit with the boom,” which is a metal pole that holds the sail down, Flaherty said. “We were in the emergency room for like six hours and she had to get stitches in her head. Thankfully I never got hurt, but there were definitely moments I thought I was going to.”
Many of the seniors encouraged students to go out of their comfort zone, anyway. Surprenant said some students are hesitant to sign up for “meaningful” classes.
“You have the opportunity as a student at Dartmouth to take a class, and there’s all these options available to you — so really just take advantage of that, instead of seeing it as a chore,” she said.
Kolluri said she regrets not trying a more “adventurous” route.
“I wish I took something really off my radar,” Kolluri said. “I didn’t think that [yoga and meditation] would be something I wanted to pursue post-grad, but it is, so I wish I opened more doors that way and [went] beyond the required two courses.”
Kolluri encourages those looking to fulfill their requirements to be as involved as possible and take a wide variety of the College’s offerings.
“Sign up for something every term,” Kolluri said. “It’s such a great program that I really wish I took more advantage of while at Dartmouth. … Honestly, it’s really such a nice point of relaxation in your week, so I wish I would have realized how low the stakes are.”
Alexandra Surprenant ’25 is a former arts editor and current writer for The Dartmouth. Surprenant was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
