Greetings from... Toulouse
"This is a joke, right?" my friend said, as we held up a pair of bright green skinny jeans at a store in Toulouse.
"This is a joke, right?" my friend said, as we held up a pair of bright green skinny jeans at a store in Toulouse.
Each week, Amy examines a small group of students in order to understand the individual Dartmouth experience as part of a whole.
I have poor blood circulation, or at least that's what I tell people when they ask why I spend 95 percent of my time curled up on my futon wrapped in a Snuggie (do not mock them until you've tried them). In the winter, I'm more likely to write a paper four days early than to cross the icy Green in pursuit of some quality time with People Magazine and the elliptical, which is why I am reduced to mentally including "times I ran extra quickly down to Novack from fourth floor Berry" and "walking backwards while giving a tour to freaked-out prospies" in my daily exercise count. When my editors told me that The Mirror this week would be about exercise at Dartmouth, I realized I should probably get some additional perspective on how the average Dartmouth student stays fit.
Alex Rivadeneira / The Dartmouth Senior Staff Three days ago, I was on an elliptical machine next to a girl who seemed perfectly normal.
Seeing as we are now eight weeks into Winter term, you've probably noticed the round of illness plaguing the men and women of Dartmouth.
Dear Katy, Okay, so there's this boy that I really like who I see at the gym every week (I guess we're just on the same schedule, but don't you think that's kind of a sign?). Last week, I even skipped an X-hour to make sure I wouldn't miss him.
I saw seven stretch Hummer limousines in Hanover on Friday, so I figured there was some dignitary in town, or at the very least a B-side congresswoman (Shea-Porter). But nay.
At a school that offers endless opportunities to stay physically active year-round, including running on the fitness center's treadmills with personal TV monitors, playing ice hockey on Occom Pond and kick-boxing for PE credit, you'll most likely find Jen and I hanging out in Collis, munching on our third breakfast sandwich of the day, or in FoCo, happily heading to the fro-yo toppings bar over and over again. Okay, so I guess working out isn't our thing.
Ediz Tiyansan '09 might just redefine the term "international student." Sure he's from Istanbul, Turkey, but he also has four Foreign Study Programs under his belt and speaks six languages: Turkish, English, German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.
'11 Boy checking out at Collis: How are you doing today? Employee at register: It's Monday.
Lately I've received a couple of Facebook tags for the popular "25 Things," where I'm asked to reveal 25 random facts about myself.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous as I volunteered to write this column, because I wasn't sure how the perspective of an international student on the decision to go Greek would be different than that of an American.
Dear Austin, So there is this boy I really like, he's sooo cute, funny and he's my best friend.
I have a confession: I am an international student. You probably can't tell from my surname, and you won't pick up on an accent unless I happen to say "sorry," but I'm in this country on a visa, nonetheless.
For some of us, choosing to attend Dartmouth was an important decision that we were confident in making; however, when such a decision involves traveling 7,000 miles across the globe to a completely unfamiliar country, the choice can be more difficult. For some international students, coming to Dartmouth means seeing their families significantly less frequently and being introduced to an completely different way of life.
Shirley Hu / The Dartmouth Staff When Yana Ernazarova '10, who was born and raised in Kazakhstan, stepped off the bus for the start of her DOC trip, she was greeted by the image of oddly-dressed members of H-Croo running, dancing and singing on Robo lawn. While many new students probably asked themselves, "What the hell are these kids doing?" Ernazarova said she instead thought to herself, "So, okay ... this is what Dartmouth kids are like." Ernazarova said that, while she then realized that Dartmouth might take some getting used, she was ready to make the adjustment. It takes all of us some time to become used to the quirks of Dartmouth life, but some international students, like Ernazarova, must also learn about American life in general upon their arrival at the College. Native Kenyan Kevin Mwenda '10 arrived at Dartmouth armed only with knowledge of American culture he had culled from television.
Here at Dartmouth, there are only three types of students. The rarest of these types are those students that plan their academics very efficiently, always work hard, turn in assignments early, write rough drafts of papers, spell check thrice, watch "Spin City" re-runs and go to sleep by 10 p.m. Too bad I will never experience that life, nor will 97 percent of campus.
Yesterday, instead of writing this column, I decided to watch the end of George A. Romero's famous horror film, "Dawn of the Dead." For those of you unfamiliar with the 1970s classic, it features a pandemic of zombies who seek no other corporal pleasure than feasting off the flesh of the living. As I watched the decaying bodies emerge from the shadowy depths of hell, I couldn't help but find the similarities between Dartmouth alums and "Dawn of the Dead" zombies downright remarkable. It's funny how much can change in a year.
Each week, Amy examines a small group of students in order to understand the individual Dartmouth experience as part of a whole.
As freshmen, adjusting to Dartmouth was not easy for us. Hanover winters were much worse than anything New Jersey -- let alone New Orleans -- could offer.