Hi Mirror, it’s Leila!
Four years ago, I discovered Mirror when I was applying to Dartmouth. Now, it feels surreal to sit down and write my first Editor’s Note.
I haven’t had a “normal” term since last winter. I was off in the spring, cruised through two classes this summer and was abroad in London this fall. After sophomore summer, I was so depleted that I couldn’t fathom ever coming back to Dartmouth. Although I’m nervous to go back to an average Dartmouth academic schedule (am I smart anymore?), something that has kept me motivated in the moments of alone time throughout these past few months abroad is my return to Mirror.
Dartmouth students seem to always be traveling. Some go away for one term, some for three in a row. Any time spent away from Hanover, even just time at home on an off term, can often be more transformative than time spent here. It’s hard to compare my time in London to regular terms since it was so novel. Yet, as I walk across the Green to my new dorm, surrounded on all sides by gleaming white snow, I’ll certainly think back to the warmer — yet much rainier — term I had abroad. Then again, London’s outdoor ice rinks are fake. At least Hanover has the real deal!
Hey Mirror, it’s Noelle!
There’s no way to say that it’s been a while without it sounding cliché, so I’ll just say that I’m thrilled to be back. Like Leila, I spent most of my days this fall on the Tube, commuting back and forth between a Bloomsbury apartment full of Dartmouth students to a campus on East End. In the mornings on the underground, I often thought about what my friends on campus might be up to five hours behind, just starting their days. I looked forward to 1 p.m. each day, since it was the earliest time I could reasonably call anyone on the East Coast. As much as I missed the sense of community I have back home and on campus, I also loved the days I could spend in book shops and markets. There’s something weirdly liberating about being another face in the crowd.
As for the winter, I’m well-accustomed to the 4 p.m. sunsets and black ice Hanover has to offer. Still, even in the days leading up to winter solstice, I can only find reasons to appreciate the steady snowfall that keeps the Green white. After all, it’s a term of lasts. As a ’26, Dartmouth is starting to feel like a place that prompts nostalgia rather than the sense of novelty I welcomed like clockwork each term. Whether it's a bustling metropolis or a quiet college town, it turns out that leaving a place you love is the best way to get to know it all over again.
This week in Mirror, our writers look from campus outward after abroads, New Year’s celebrations and winterims on campus as students everywhere reach the end of their terms. One writer compiles the pictures and stories of several students abroad. Two writers return for their weekly column, “Freak of the Week,” to weigh in on a relationship with a deal-breaking third wheel. Another writer reflects on a solitary six weeks on campus as an international student. Finally, one writer reflects on an unforgettable fall in London with strangers-turned-friends.
Happy Week 1, Mirror!
