Fall 2024

Letter from the Editors

There is something potent about the metaphor “swimming upstream,” something that isn’t dulled by its frequent invocation in our language and culture. From what I can tell, humans love a challenge. Looking past the limits of national boundaries, artistic eras, or mediums, our most memorable stories share common thematic threads; there are long odds ignored, conventions bucked, and individual passions, desires, and causes being pursued with every fiber of the hero’s being.

While our own personal histories may not measure up to the trials of Homeric or Hollywood epics, we have all had obstacles to surmount and long odds to overcome in our journeys to Dartmouth. Some of us have uprooted our lives, returning to school to bet on ourselves and our passions. Some of us are first generation students. Some of us come from countries that have struggled with war, upheaval, and poverty. Some of us have been tested by violence, poverty, and other traumas personally. And we are all here, living, studying, and building our lives at one of the greatest educational institutions in the world.

So much has changed since the earliest stories of trial and heroism, but life still scars, still tests, and leaves none of us unscathed. Our theme was selected to honor our journeys and the stories we have to tell. Whether or not our contributors explicitly drew upon that theme, their inclusion in these pages is a testament to what they have done and sign of promise for what they’ve yet to achieve. My congratulations to all of our contributors.

My sincerest thanks to our editors, who volunteer their time and energies on top of studies, jobs, families, and other obligations. My gratitude to our faculty advisor, Professor Anna Minardi, who has been a generous resource and a source of encouragement and perspective. And to our dedicated and tireless Editorial Board – Abigail Dollries, Caden Ide, and Mack Willingham. They have dedicated their time and their many talents, and my job was made much easier by having such an efficient, creative, precise, and empathetic team behind me. Without them, you would not have this before you.

Welcome to the Fall 2024 Edition of Clamantis: The MALS Journal.