"There is Nothing Better Than..."

Since most of fall term was spent in a class-gym-library cycle, with some sleeping and eating here and there, this winter we (the freshman) have really gotten a chance to get involved with all the wonderful things here at Dartmouth. By far the best thing we’ve done this winter was helping out at the Girls & Women in Sports Clinic in Lebanon. We had the opportunity to teach kids ranging from 5-12 some basic volleyball skills, showing them how to pass, set, and over-hand serve. We all got a chance to explain each skill, which gave me a new appreciation for coaches who work with younger players. It was beyond adorable watching a group of 5-year-old girls, most of whom the ball was bigger than, pass & set back and forth.


Sports have played such a huge role in my life, eventually allowing me to be at Dartmouth, so being able to give some of that back was amazing. While most of those girls won’t become professional volleyball players, being able to show them what sports can add to your life was the best way to give back to my new community here at Dartmouth.

Another great thing about being a female athlete is the chance to bond with the other teams here at Dartmouth. The women’s field hockey and soccer teams were also at the clinic with us, giving us the change to spend time with other athletes. The athletic community is so strong here at Dartmouth, and being able to bond with other freshman athletes is a great experience. We are all going through winter training and experiencing our first out of season term, giving us so many things in common (but mostly, we can all bond over being sore all the time!). Having more free time this term allows us to explore all the great things Dartmouth offers, both through the athletic department and the school itself.


There is nothing better than being able to share what I love and introduce volleyball to younger girls, and I wouldn’t want to be doing it with any other team or any where other than Dartmouth.

-Elisa Scudder ’14, Ashburn, VA

I Believe I am Making a Difference

Hi everyone, from the Big Apple! I'm writing this from my teeeny tiny apartment in Manhattan, where I am living and working for this term. I want to give everyone an update about what I've been up to on my off-term - an opportunity I am lucky to have had thanks to the D plan.


This term I am working as an administrative/programming intern and teaching artist for a New York non-profit called Art Start. Art Start runs art and music programs in several homeless shelters in Manhattan and the Bronx, giving a creative outlet to New York's most at risk kids. Working here has been one of the most powerful experiences of my life - I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity. Every morning, I work in the Art Start office, helping my boss, Johanna, the executive director, catch up on expense reports (I'm getting really good at excel spreadsheets!) or doing research and helping to write grants. Because Art Start is so small, I've been given a lot of responsibility on the administrative side of things. Its a ton of work - running a nonprofit is NOT easy - but such good experience, and I've begun to feel really invested in the organization, and believe that I'm really making a difference.


My favorite part of the day though is teaching workshops! I help teach two visual arts workshops on Mondays and Wednesdays, and music on Tuesday and Thursdays at two different shelters. I have fallen in love with the kids, and in love with teaching. It's hard work - the kids can be realllly rowdy, and they vary from age 5 to 12, so keeping everyone quiet and focused can be extremely challenging. But there are moments where everything comes together - we write an awesome song together, or create a mural that everyone is proud of, and that's what I live for! These kids come from extremely tough backgrounds and upbringings, and many of them have 6, 7, or 8 brothers and sisters, all living in the shelter. Art Start gives them the chance to express themselves, receive 1-on-1 attention from a stable adult who cares, and makes them feel special and appreciated. Although most of these children will not grow up to be artists or musicians, I hope that the time we spend with them and the bigger lessons they learn about confidence and respect will allow them to grow into proud adults who can break the cycle of poverty, gangs and violence they were born into.


I'm so thankful that Dartmouth has given me the chance to experience something so different from the small town in California where I grew up. I'm also lucky enough to have teammate Kendall here, and its fun to enjoy city living with her. Although we miss the rest of the team, who are having adventures of their own, scattered around the world from Hanover to Barcelona to Bangkok to Bolivia. I work from 9 to 9 every day, and I spend a ton of time riding the subway and hustling around the city! Its true what they say about New York - this city really doesn't ever sleep. But I think this is the experience of a lifetime, and I can always sleep when I get back to Hanover!

Lots of love from NY
Annie "Mama" Villanueva '12, Santa Barbara, CA
Annie's Art Start bio: http://art-start.org/the-family/teaching-artists/

From the Other Side of the World

Amber (on the right) & her roommate in front of Rama V/Chulalongkorn statue

Back at Dartmouth it is common to take the winters off and study abroad. Unfortunately there are not many options for Engineers to study abroad and get credit towards their major. Luckily Dartmouth recently established a semester abroad exchange program with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. And that's where I've been for the last month and a half.

My first impression of Chula came on orientation, we arrived at school and were told that due to inter and intra university sporting games, we would not have school for the next two weeks. So I went to Vietnam for 10 days and had an amazing time. Then I came back and started school a bit later than expected.

Now that I've gotten into the swing of things my weeks consist of five 3 hour classes spanning Monday through Wednesday. Thai class on Monday and Thursday and the occasional volleyball pick up game Tuesday and Thursday nights. Classes are very different than Dartmouth. The pace is much slower and the students have a bit less enthusiasm for the subjects. However, the Thai students have been more than welcoming. In almost every class people have approached me to see how I am doing or if I need anything.

Wat Po Temple in Bangkok

I was also set up with the university women's volleyball team and now have become good friends with many of the players. Last week I was invited to one of their birthday dinners at an amazing restaurant right on the river that runs through the city. The atmosphere was great as we were serenaded by a wonderfully singing Ladyboy.

So far I am in love with Thailand. Not only am I getting a different perspective on a subject I love, I have been able to play volleyball with locals, eat full meals for less than $2 everyday (and the food is amazing), live in a tropical climate (sorry for everyone who is buried under the 10 ft of snow back home), meet some amazing people from all over the world, and finally, travel! (We are heading to Ko Tao, Turtle Island, this week).

This experience has been once in a life time and so far I can't get enough of it, but it has also made me realize that I am very lucky to have amazing friends and family back home waiting for me. Being away really makes you appreciate the people and things you love at home.

--Amber Bryant '12, Libertyville, IL