College completes Reed Hall and Baker-Berry construction, Dartmouth Hall renovations to begin

Though the pandemic marches on, Dartmouth has moved forward with multiple construction projects, including the completion of renovations to Reed Hall and Baker-Berry Library, the start of renovations on Dartmouth Hall and the continued construction of the new Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society.

Student-run mental health app partners with virtual counseling service

Dartmouth students in search of mental health support now have the chance to talk with therapists via virtual counseling sessions, thanks to a collaboration between the student-run mental health app Unmasked and teletherapy platform Uwill. Announced in December, this partnership has enabled students to access Uwill’s large network of therapists after registering via Unmasked.

Dartmouth Idol semifinals feature old and new performances

This past weekend, the first part of the 14th annual Dartmouth Idol semifinals took place virtually. Breaking from the traditional format of the beloved competition, the kickoff event combined footage from previous competitions with audition tapes from this year’s semifinalists.

Facing rising COVID-19 cases, College warns of potential restrictions for winter term

As students prepare to return to campus this weekend, the College has warned that “more restrictive conditions” than originally anticipated may be required for those living on campus due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases at Dartmouth and in the Upper Valley. 

A Shot in the Dark: Students Receive Early Vaccines

When I virtually signed Dartmouth’s “Community Expectations” agreement last summer, I didn’t think much of a certain line. I agreed to “receive a vaccine for COVID-19, should one become available that is both FDA- and Dartmouth-approved,” if I wanted to live on campus and access Dartmouth’s facilities. At that point, a COVID-19 vaccine seemed years away — a promise overshadowed by the stress of preparing for a virtual academic year.

Looking Ahead: Students React to Winter Term Changes

Every winter, Hanover undergoes a transformation. The days get shorter, temperatures plummet and snow covers campus. However, this winter features a more dramatic shift than usual. As Dartmouth prepares to welcome students back for the winter term, signs of a more fun, social experience are appearing around campus.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel?

As the pandemic drags on into the new year, many people are getting sick of strictly adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. With the first doses of the vaccine rolling out across the country, some have started to let their guards down and regard restrictions with a more lax attitude.

Quarantine Creations: Students Make Art in Isolation

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began almost a full year ago, I’ve thought a lot about the future of art. If art is a mode of self-expression, what happens when your sense of self, removed from the places and people that shape it, is rocked? If art is a vessel for our joy, what happens when the sources of joy change? I was afraid that life in lockdown would make us too tired to create things, or that stress and lack of materials would immobilize us even when we wanted to create things. I hoped that making things was such an inherently human act that it would pull us through the wildest of circumstances.

Mirror Asks: New Year's Resolutions

Every January, gyms fill up with fresh-faced clientele eager to fulfill New Year’s resolutions made the night before over glasses of champagne. For many, New Year’s resolutions are a way to try something new, refocus on old rhythms or buckle down on long-term goals. After the dumpster fire of 2020, it’s hard to say whether New Year’s resolutions feel completely irrelevant or more important than ever. In this edition of Mirror Asks, a few Mirror writers share their own thoughts on the new year and the things they’re looking forward to in 2021, both big and small. 

Editors' Note

A brief history of anti-Semitism at Dartmouth

The vandalism of the Chabad menorah in early December was a reminder that the “Dartmouth bubble” has not always included Jewish students, harkening back to the days when the admissions office maintained quotas for the number of Jews in each class, academic departments sought to hire mainly Protestants and most fraternities barred Jewish students from membership.

Bianca Smith ’12 becomes first Black woman to coach professional baseball

On Jan. 4, the Boston Red Sox announced the hiring of former Dartmouth softball player Bianca Smith ’12 as a minor league coach, making her the first Black woman to coach in professional baseball history.

Senior societies navigate challenges as winter tapping proceeds virtually

Dartmouth’s 14 recognized senior societies and various unrecognized ones are gearing up to pass the torches on to the next senior class in a process known as “tapping.” This winter’s fully remote tapping process, which will embrace text messages, emails and Zoom calls, comes nearly a year after many current members of senior societies themselves underwent tapping virtually.

Facing concerns, College looks to increase mental health support ahead of winter term move-in

With limited opportunities for social interaction, the demands of virtual classes and the ongoing instability posed by the pandemic, fall term saw students grappling with isolation and anxiety alongside their coursework. Now, as students gear up for a New Hampshire winter and another pandemic-era term, the College has taken recent steps to increase mental health support — yet concerns linger that resources may still be lacking.

Dartmouth students launch 'Meetinghouse' literary magazine

Last fall, three students came together with the idea of developing a new publication to connect Dartmouth undergraduates with the wider literary world. This December, the efforts of Frances Mize ’22, Avery Saklad ’21 and Ethan Weinstein ’21 came to fruition in the first edition of Meetinghouse, a literary magazine that has already attracted submissions from over 1,200 authors and poets from around the world.

'There should be much more lenience and empathy': Concerns arise over support for students with COVID-19

With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the country and in the Upper Valley, some students have voiced concerns over the availability of support from the College should they become infected. According to several students who contracted COVID-19 during the fall term, the College’s academic and mental health support systems were inadequate during their illness and recovery.