This article is featured in the 2026 Winter Carnival Issue.
College President Sian Leah Beilock gave The Dartmouth a tour of the President’s House on Webster Ave. last week. We asked her 76 questions about herself and the College in a Vogue-style interview.
SLB: Hi, welcome to the President’s House. Come on in.
Hi, President Beilock.
SLB: Hi.
It’s Jeremiah, Elizabeth and Kelsey from The D. Thanks so much for having us.
SLB: Of course. Happy to be here.
What is the best part of living in the President’s House?
SLB: Oh, I actually really like living on Frat Row. It’s fun to see everyone having fun.
What’s your favorite building on campus, other than Parkhurst?
SLB: Rauner.
What is your favorite place to eat in Hanover?
SLB: Tuk Tuk.
What is your favorite school term at Dartmouth?
SLB: I really like the summer.
Homecoming, Winter Carnival or Green Key?
SLB: Oh, that’s easy. Winter Carnival. I’m excited to judge the chili cook-off.
What was your first concert?
SLB: Skid Row opened for Bon Jovi.
What is your favorite winter activity?
SLB: Skiing.
You grew up in California. East or West Coast?
SB: Okay, everyone’s gonna get mad at me, but East Coast.
What is your go-to coffee order?
SLB: A triple, tall cappuccino.
What is your favorite color?
SLB: Green.
What song do you have on repeat right now?
SLB: Oh, I have a song, “[Meet] Me [at Our] Spot.” It’s by Willow and Anxiety.
What is your favorite book you’ve read this year?
SLB: I’m reading a book by Yuval Levin about trust in institutions.
Living or dead, who is your dream Commencement speaker?
SLB: Dolly Parton.
If you go on a trip to anywhere in the world for a day, where would you go?
SLB: Right now, today, Bali sounds nice.
Do you identify more as a knight or a gnome?
SLB: I have no idea what that means, but I guess I’d pick knight.
Print or digital journalism?
SLB: Both.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
SLB: It really depends on how much work I have.
What do you miss about living in New York City?
SLB: Bagels.
If you could invite three people, living or dead, to a dinner, who would they be?
SLB: That’s a great question. I actually think it would be my dad, who died 20 years ago, my mom and my brother just so we could have a big family conversation and fight.
What is your Roman Empire?
SLB: I don’t know, before it fell?
Favorite thing to do on a snowy day?
SLB: Ski.
If you could visit one of our hometowns, which would it be — Seattle, Wash., Wilmington, Del. or Montgomery, Ala.?
SLB: Oh, Montgomery.
Which “Friends” character are you?
SLB: That’s easy. I’m totally a Monica.
Tell us about your favorite piece of art in the President’s House.
SLB: Come take a look. This is the piece of art that I really love. It’s a print by Cara Romero.
If you worked at The D, which section would you write for — news, sports, arts, Mirror, opinion, crossword or cartoon?
SLB: Opinion.
Which hike is your favorite — Gile, Cardigan or Moosilauke?
SLB: Moosilauke.
Foco cookies or Hop fries?
SLB: Oh, Foco cookies.
Occom Pond or Connecticut River?
SLB: Occom Pond.
Snowball fight or polar plunge?
SLB: Snowball fight.
What is your best tip for surviving Hanover winters?
SLB: Winter sports.
If you could learn a new language, what would it be?
SLB: Spanish.
What is your favorite musical?
SLB: Oh, I’m not that into musicals, but I love rom-coms.
Rom-coms or horror movies?
SLB: Rom-coms.
What is your favorite non-Dartmouth sports team?
SLB: Oh, that’s a good one. I really like the Portland Thorns. They have a great soccer player, Olivia Moultrie, who’s amazing.
Who is your favorite book character?
SLB: I always think Jo from “Little Women.”
Karaoke or trivia?
SLB: Trivia.
What is your favorite national park?
SLB: Yosemite.
The Beatles or Rolling Stones?
SLB: The Stones.
What is your most used emoji?
SLB: My most used emoji … probably the one where I say “I don’t know’ to my 14-year-old.
What is your favorite Taylor Swift era?
SLB: “1989” — Is that an era? I like that album.
Do you have any goals for 2026?
SLB: Yes, to play tennis more and to worry less.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
SLB: Ooh, I want to go helicopter skiing.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
SLB: I have so many. It’s really hard to pick just one.
What is your favorite internet trend?
SLB: I don’t know, I really like the one where everyone’s eating sweet potatoes with cheese in it. I want to try it.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
SLB: Saturday nights at my house, my parents would make a big dinner, and they would listen to the Mamas and Papas, and it was just fun to be with everyone.
What is different about college students today from when you were a college student?
SLB: I think you guys are under a lot more pressure.
What is your favorite Dartmouth slang word?
SLB: I don’t know if this is a slang word, but I like “Blobby.” I think that’s funny.
Favorite New York Times game?
SLB: Wordle.
What animal best matches your personality?
SLB: I think Rosie kind of does. She’s loving and can be a little ferocious as well.
What is your favorite word?
SLB: My favorite word … I say “honestly” a lot.
What was your first job?
SLB: Math tutor.
Favorite room in the President’s House?
SLB: The kitchen.
What is your favorite comfort food?
SLB: This is a little embarrassing, but I really like tortilla chips with cheese in the microwave.
Ben and Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs?
SLB: Häagen-Dazs.
What is your favorite food at Foco?
SLB: Oh, the chocolate chip cookies.
What is your favorite flavor of seltzer water?
SLB: Grapefruit.
Which classes at Dartmouth would you recommend?
SLB: I’d recommend “Athletes in the 21st Century,” which I taught last year, and anything by
César Alvarez. They’re in the music department. And I’m really interested in all the Government classes going on right now.
Which former College President are you most inspired by?
SLB: Oh, that’s interesting. I’m really impressed with [John] Kemeny and John Sloan Dickey.
What television series are you binging right now?
SLB: Oh my goodness! I’m watching “Emily in Paris.”
Who is your favorite philosopher?
SLB: I have a lot, but probably Plato.
What would you title your autobiography?
SLB: “Stop Worrying.”
Do you wake up to your alarm or hit snooze?
SLB: Snooze.
What is your favorite trip you have ever taken?
SLB: Oh, that is actually a really good one. When I was six, we flew to Hawaii to watch my dad run the Hawaiian marathon, which was pretty cool.
How do you like your eggs?
SLB: Scrambled, well-done.
Who is your pick for Super Bowl LX?
SLB: Oh, let’s see. The Patriots and the Seahawks are playing, I think. I’m going to go with the Patriots.
How early do you get to the airport?
SLB: Like as close to the flight as possible, sometimes I miss it.
What is your favorite video game?
SLB: Ms. Pac-Man.
If you could write another Ph.D. dissertation now, what would you write it on?
SLB: I’d like to know more about the history of the balance of powers in our democracy.
Describe yourself in three words.
SLB: I have a lot of grit, I work hard and I’m inquisitive.
Describe Dartmouth in three words.
SLB: Community, willing to do things on their own and brave.
Which Dartmouth alum, living or dead, would you like to meet?
SLB: Oh, that’s a great question. I guess I would like to meet some of the Dartmouth alums who were not interested in Dartmouth being co-ed.
What has been your proudest moment at Dartmouth so far?
SLB: You know, every time I talk to a student and they tell me they wouldn’t be here without financial aid, it makes me so happy.
What is one thing you would like to improve about the College?
SLB: Well, I’m working a lot on housing.
If you had to give one piece of advice to the incoming Class of 2030, what would it be?
SLB: Do things that push you outside your comfort zone.
What about the Class of 2026?
SLB: I think I’d say the same thing.
What is something you wish we had asked you?
SLB: Nothing, you guys did a great job. Thanks for coming!
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Kelsey Wang is a reporter and editor for The Dartmouth from the greater Seattle area, majoring in history and government. Outside of The D, she likes to crochet, do jigsaw puzzles and paint.
Jeremiah Rayban is a reporter and editor for The Dartmouth from Wilmington, Del., majoring in economics. Outside of The D, he enjoys reading, art and trivia.
Elizabeth Ray ’27 is a managing editor and news reporter. She is from Montgomery, Ala., and is majoring in History.
