Beyond the Layup: How Dartmouth Students Discover Transformative Courses

It’s the question that ripples across campus each term, whispered over glowing screens, across dining tables and between crowded hallways, especially during course selection. While many students strategically choose classes for convenience or perceived ease, others stumble upon courses that fundamentally reshape their thinking, learning, and engagement with the world. Dartmouth students are increasingly finding value in courses that extend beyond simply fulfilling requirements, discovering unexpected intellectual and personal growth.

The Unexpected Power of Public Speaking

Issa Allison ’29, intending to major in government with a minor in international studies, discovered the impact of SPEE 020: “Introduction to Public Speaking” through a presentation by Speech department professor Josh Compton. Allison was drawn in by Compton’s charisma and the promise of improving his public speaking skills. Issa Allison is also a North Park House Senator in the Dartmouth Student Government.

Despite prior experience with speech competitions and Model United Nations, the course challenged his established preparation methods. “In the past, I would literally just make speeches the night before,” Allison said. The course introduced a recent strategy for extemporaneous speaking, emphasizing tailored notes focused on conveying genuine ideas rather than rigid scripts.

The 15-student seminar fostered frequent speeches and constructive peer feedback. Allison realized that effective public speaking isn’t a lecture, but a conversation. “Speech is not a lecture,” he explained. “It’s a conversation between the speaker and audience. If you can’t maintain a conversation, you’re not making a public speech, because then you’re just talking at people rather than talking with people.”

Expanding Perspectives: Christianity in Korea

Aaron Velez ’29, a biology and economics double major, experienced a similar shift in perspective while taking ASCL 64.04: “Christianity in Korea” with history professor Soyoung Suh. He found the course’s exploration of the complex relationship between Christianity and Korean culture particularly compelling.

“I just found the ideas really interesting,” Velez said. “I liked a lot of the frameworks for examining [how] Christianity came to Korea through other countries … that it’s more of a bilateral transfer, looking at it less from the perspective of a top-down, colonial model.” Despite being the only freshman in the course, Velez appreciated the stimulating discussions and the diverse perspectives of his classmates.

“It was definitely really interesting to discuss and keep up with other people who have more background in it as religion or history majors,” he explained. “People grab away different things, so it’s definitely a really good way of making a complete picture.”

Sound, Identity, and Reflection in Black Sound Studies

Nellie Mwanyalo ’27, a computer science and digital arts major, encountered a unique form of discussion in MUS 24.01: “Black Sound Studies,” a seminar exploring how Black artists construct meaning through sound. Drawn to the teaching style of Music department professor Allie Martin, Mwanyalo enrolled in the course to explore these themes.

Each week, students analyzed an album, discussing how sound and lyrics communicated identity and experience. For her final project, Mwanyalo analyzed “Heaux Tales” by Jazmine Sullivan, an experience that prompted her to reconsider her understanding of language. “It changed my way of thinking and how I use language,” she said. “She was trying to reclaim [derogatory] words in the English language, to use them to empower women and not bring them down, as a form of resistance.”

Creative Nonfiction: A Space for Vulnerability and Iteration

Sofia Uribe ’29, intending to major in environmental studies, found a different kind of reflection in CRWT 011: “Introduction to Creative Nonfiction.” Taught by creative writing professor William Craig, the course emphasized sharing drafts and providing thoughtful feedback in a supportive environment.

“It’s really vulnerable, putting your perform out there for others to workshop,” she said. “So, there’s this sort of care that goes into responding to it and to connecting it to it.” Unlike many traditional courses, the course intentionally avoided strict deadlines, reinforcing the idea that writing is an iterative process. “We didn’t have due dates,” Uribe explained. “Writing is never finished; it’s always an iterative process, and so he was just like, ‘put in your rough draft, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just completed. Give me some of your initial thoughts.’”

The Value of Interdisciplinary Exploration and Community

Across disciplines, students highlighted how these courses changed not only *what* they learned, but *how* they approached learning itself. Velez expressed a desire to continue exploring interdisciplinary coursework to acquire new conceptual frameworks. “I want to try courses outside of [my major], and see what new frameworks I can acquire, ” Velez said. “Not just pure knowledge, but frameworks of thinking and approaching learning in a pedagogical sense.”

Mwanyalo noted that courses exploring identity and history encouraged her to reflect on her own experiences as an international student from Kenya. “I’m in America, so I need to learn about the history and why things are the way they are today,” she remarked. “But, when you learn about another culture’s history, it makes you think about your own home country as well.”

The small, discussion-based environments also fostered unexpected communities. Allison noted that his freshman-only public speaking course helped students connect early in their college experience. “We had a special, direct connection with our peers, knowing that they’re all going through the same process that we are in fall term,” he said. “We all found community [by] working with one another.”

Uribe described a similar dynamic in writing workshops, where thoughtful responses to peers became an integral part of the learning process. “I learned a lot about empathy,” she said. “Of really hearing what someone has to say through their work, processing it and being really intentional about others’ thoughts.”

Beyond the Requirements

While these courses offer valuable learning experiences, Allison observed that many students prioritize fulfilling distributive requirements over pursuing genuine interests. “Unfortunately, I think students glance for layups that fulfill a distributive, rather than thinking about classes that genuinely interest them,” he said.

Uribe echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of allowing time for exploration and self-discovery. “It’s like the Dead Poet’s Society quote: ‘Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for,’” she said. “We’re in college here to enjoy it. We should give ourselves a break and really let ourselves take this time to actually discover who we are, and writing and art is such a personal way to really do so.”

On March 23, Dartmouth will debut a new course selection system called “Courses @ Dartmouth” designed to streamline the process. The new system aims to provide a more user-friendly and personalized experience for students.