When Week 7 has got you down, what do you do? Some wrap themselves in blankets and binge-watch the next season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and others head out to the nearest party down frat row. From reading to bodybuilding, Dartmouth students discussed how they relieve the stress of college life by caring for themselves.
Natt Chan ’20
Natt Chan ’20 said that no matter how tired he is, he always has to get his 15 minutes of reading in. Every night before bed, Natt Chan ’20 pulls out his Kindle to read. Despite being completely oblivious to the Winter Carnival theme this year, he recently read the entire Harry Potter series in 12 days. He said that reading helps him escape the real world.
“I prefer fantasy or science fiction because I like things that aren’t very realistic,” Chan said. “It’s a means for me to get lost and immerse myself in a whole other world.”
Jalen Benson ’17
When your taste buds can’t take any more abuse from Dartmouth Dining Services, what can you do? Jalen Benson ’17 takes the cooking into his own hands. After taking his organic chemistry final during sophomore fall, he felt compelled to treat his stomach to some good food and cooked himself a full Thanksgiving dinner with friends.
“Eating good food and talking to good people means a lot to me in terms of taking care of myself,” Benson said. “From that day on, I would set aside days during the term where I would feed myself. When I’m cooking, I can breathe.”
Benson said that when he cooks for himself, he can incorporate his favorite flavors that can’t be found on campus.
“DDS food has a sad amount of flavor in it,“ Benson said. “I’ll make food that has the flavor of home, so I’ll make oxtails [and] rice and peas.”
Alison Guh ’17
Alison Guh ’17 takes care of herself mentally, physically and spiritually through yoga. A self-proclaimed yoga lover, she has gone to the Mighty Yoga studio in town almost every single day since her sophomore year.
Himanshu Patel ’20
Ball is life, and life is ball, so whenever he has some time, Himanshu Patel ’20 has to get his shots in somehow.
“My friends and I have a similar schedule, so we all get out of class at 12:35, and we go play for an hour and eat lunch after,” Patel said. “I’m not that good, but I’m decent. It’s a fun way to exercise, and I’d rather do that then go outside and run around the track.”
However, Patel says that he can’t cross anyone up — yet. Keep your ankles safe when you see him on the Alumni Gym courts.
Summer Cody ’20
Summer Cody ’20 gets a lot of what most Dartmouth students can’t — sleep. She makes sure to squeeze in a spot in her calendar for a quick nap. If she’s had a late night studying, sleep takes priority over everything.
Ashley Martinez ’19
For Ashley Martinez ’19, her form of self-care is bodybuilding. When she isn’t busy studying to become a doctor, Martinez is lifting heavy weights. She goes to the gym at least five times a week to train. Martinez never skips leg day. In fact, she has three leg days — glutes, hamstrings and quads.
“I do a combination of lifting weights and cardio,” Martinez said. “It takes up a good amount of my day but it’s something I enjoy.”
She hasn’t competed yet, but when Martinez returns to her home in New Mexico, she plans to enter bodybuilding competitions while interning at a physical therapy clinic.
