What's one thing you'll miss about this winter term?
Emma Ginsberg ’23: The person who makes cute little drawings on the coffee sleeves at Novack. I don't know who you are, but if you're out there, I love you.
Claire Pingitore ’24: I'll definitely miss my parents and friends at home. Weirdly, I think I will miss working a non-Dartmouth job while taking classes. It's been hard to balance at times, but school can become such a bubble, and it's nice to get outside of it consistently.
Meghan Powers ’23: The snow.
Omala Snyder ’24: My schedule and classes. I really enjoyed them this quarter, and they were super flexible.
Caris White ’23: The Novack social scene — it really got me through a somewhat lonely term.
Solenne Wolfe ’24: I will miss the quiet routine of being at home, the comfort of waking up in my own bed and definitely the natural light in my bedroom.
Kate Yuan ’23: Ice skating on the Green.
Brian Zheng ’24: Some of the classes I'm taking — my first-year seminar, WRIT 07.27, “Philosophy of Science,” has been one of my favorite intellectual experiences.
How have you been getting outside this winter?
EG: Begrudgingly.
CP: Mostly walking and running, although I got to hike and snowshoe in Maine back in December. I've been working as a Nordic ski instructor for young kids for the past few months, which has been a lot of fun. I've been playing lots of “sharks and minnows” and “fireball freeze tag” on skis.
MP: The 30-minute walk to COVID-19 testing, mostly.
OS: Not as much as I would have liked to because I love winter sports like skiing, but I went ice skating and sledding a few times. Staying inside was my preferred option this winter.
CW: Lots of Skiway laps.
SW: Runs!
KY: Trying new things like cross-country skiing.
BZ: In-person ROTC lab, walking to Thompson for testing and picking up food.
It's been a year since the pandemic began. What was a highlight of your year in quarantine?
EG: I wrote a lot! I wrote a play, I started working for The Dartmouth and I penned a lot of cruddy poetry that will never see the light of day.
CP: I've loved watching the friends I grew up with make the best of a bad situation and grow as people I'm really lucky to know. Also, everything about 20F — I was really happy to experience my first term on campus.
MP: Spending time with family.
OS: I got to work at a summer camp last summer, in a protected bubble of course, which was an incredible experience because for a few weeks it felt like COVID-19 didn't exist and reminded me of life before the pandemic. Other than that, spending time in quarantine with my family is definitely something I have also been grateful for. We’ve become a lot closer, and since I went to a boarding school before, I wasn't able to be home a lot before the pandemic.
CW: I really learned how to appreciate my neighborhood this year. This spring and summer I must have walked hundreds of miles around where I live, and I started to notice more little things, like the wildflowers and friendly dogs.
SW: I've been enjoying spending time with my mom. I was always too busy in high school to hang out with my parents, and it's a lot of what I've been doing lately.
KY: Learning that there are different kinds of flour — bread flour vs. cake flour vs. semolina flour.
BZ: Watching “Breaking Bad” and hitting “Platinum” in League of Legends.
What is your preferred way to connect with friends during quarantine?
EG: Yelling weird things at them from a distance in public, while they pretend not to be associated with me.
CP: I'm lucky to be at home with friends who have social distancing-friendly backyards, so trying not to freeze around fire pits and talking for hours has been great. I also love an impromptu FaceTime.
MP: Games over Zoom and Netflix Party.
OS: FaceTime.
CW: FaceTime or a distanced walk around Occom Pond.
SW: Late night FaceTimes, random calls throughout the day and Snapchat videos.
KY: We discovered a hole in our floor from the radiator that goes into our downstairs neighbors’ room and started sending notes down the hole. One day, we found a note stuck to our door from them because they were genuinely confused as to how we got the note into their room. They eventually figured it out and started sending notes back to us through the hole in their ceiling. Now, we regularly send notes back and forth for fun!
BZ: FaceTime and group chats; socially distanced meals.
How do you take care of yourself in quarantine?
EG: I just keep hitting replay on ABBA's “Waterloo.”
CP: Spending time outside, talking with people as much as possible and making time for things I want to do.
MP: Naps.
OS: Cooking, going for walks, coloring, listening to music and podcasts … also giving myself too many manicures. I love painting my nails!
CW: Sleep! I really love getting that magical eight to 10 hours.
SW: Sheet masks and early nights.
KY: Lots of chocolate.
BZ: Listening to music and working out.
Vaccines are around the corner. What is the first thing you'll do when the risk of contracting COVID-19 is gone?
EG: I want to be in a musical when live theater returns! If anybody's casting, my fall is open. Soprano, non-equity, willing to tour.
CP: I would love to go to a concert the first safe chance I get.
MP: Kiss the sidewalk.
OS: So many things — honestly, the first thing would probably be going to a concert or a party or a place with a lot of people, because obviously we haven't been able to do any of those things for a while.
CW: Pong in the KDE basement — need three @now.
SW: Hang out in a big group!
KY: Hug lots of people.
BZ: See a movie in an actual theater.
What movie, TV or book do you recommend for spring break?
EG: This is going to sound vain, but I loved the movie “Emma.”
CP: “Nomadland” on Hulu.
MP: “Fleabag,” the TV show.
OS: “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart.
CW: “The Opposite of Loneliness” by Marina Keegan! I think it should be required reading for all college students, and her writing simply sparks joy.
SW: “The Simpsons.”
KY: “Bridgerton.”
BZ: “La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)” on Netflix.
