Hi There! My name is Carolyn. Many of you I know, and some I do not. I hear you folks I don’t know though—you 20’s, especially—are quite wonderful. I’m looking forward to meeting you soon.
I’ve been involved with the DOC for quite some time now, and it’s become a very important community to me. I started coming to CnT meetings my freshmen spring while adrift, and since then I have become a leader in CnT, a Chair of Women in the Wilderness
and a DOC President (last summer). In addition to these concrete markers of commitment, I’ve tasted feeds and embarked on beginner trips in most of the other subclubs. This dabbling I love and plan to continue.
In the winter and spring of last year, momentum was generated around the idea of increasing the DOC’s inclusivity efforts. Over the summer we made a point to act upon the initiatives we’d been brainstorming all spring, and we learned a lot from the
experience. I’ve been many places since then, and despite my efforts to stay ~in the moment~ wherever I am, my thoughts have often returned to the DOC. Most of these are comfort thoughts: no matter where I am, I’ll always belong to a community filled with
wonderful people who are committed to creating incredible experiences for themselves and for others in the outdoors. The other ones tend to be ideas: I know that cool things happen when we acknowledge that we still have room to grow, and some of that room
lies in the area of inclusivity.
Though it’s clear to us now that it doesn’t make sense to push for the establishment of a new, inclusivity-aimed subclub, what we did learn from outreach this summer is that there are plenty of people who are eager to try out trips, feeds and meetings,
but aren’t exactly sure how DOC things work. There are also whole groups interested in partnering with the DOC to make trips and events happen, but a lot of those trips and events never occur because of the magnitude of logistics surrounding them.
In addition to managing the DOC’s online presence and planning DOC-wide events, I would love to serve as a liaison between the DOC and the broader campus community as a Vice President. Partnering with individuals and groups on campus who express interest
in hosting joint trips and events would not only expose individuals who don’t naturally gravitate toward the outdoors to some of Dartmouth’s greatest assets, but it would also expose individuals who have made themselves comfortable within DOC social-circles
to minds that have the potential to experience nature differently. Gauging interest from these individuals and groups is a collective job: it is on all of us to be on the lookout for DOC-curiosities and to provide the activation energy for those who are curious
to reach out with their questions or ideas. Communicating all the nitty-gritty details of how things work, however, can be done by a patient individual: it involves understanding who to talk to, where to find things, and the order in which steps need to be
taken. Over the past few years I’ve become quite well-versed in DOC-logistics, and I’d love to use my expertise to relay that information between parties so that we can capitalize on the great ideas that come from those who know the inner-workings of the DOC
less well.
Hello All,
I'm Anna Ellis and I'm a '19 from Maine. I first became involved in the DOC during my freshman fall when I joined Cabin and Trail. Before Dartmouth, I was a backpacking leader for two summers for Tanglewood, an outdoors camp in Maine. I developed
an incredible love for the outdoors during my years as a camper and a counselor, backpacking in the woods of New England. I met my best friends in the outdoors and I had experiences that pushed me to be a more thoughtful, considerate, and tenacious person.
Coming to Dartmouth, I was thrilled to find a strong sense of community in the DOC. I became a leader in Cabin and Trail and worked on Dartmouth's Trail Crew during my freshman summer and sophomore fall. This experience taught me a tremendous amount about
using a chainsaw, cleaning the most disgusting cooking utensils in existence, and the importance of sriracha, among other things. Over winterim, I led three trips for the DOC- a backpacking trip in Big Bend, a backpacking trip in Hawaii, and a winter hiking
trip in the Northern Presidentials, called WHEATSTARCH. This winter, I have become more involved in Ledyard and have been busy leading hikes in the Whites!
I'm looking to the opportunity to be on the DOC Directorate to take my outdoor leadership to the next level. I have enjoyed being a leader within Cabin and Trail, but I feel that my passion for the outdoors, combined with my drive to improve the DOC,
is well suited to the VP position. I am absolutely stoked to make some tangible changes within the DOC! My biggest goal as VP would be to plan inter-club activities that bring even more people outside while allowing different clubs to share their skill sets!
On Friday afternoon, when I was shivering at Occom while waiting in line for the Polar Plunge, I realized how insane Dartmouth really is. At what other school would so many people voluntarily line up on one of the coldest days of the year to jump
into a freezing pond? Winter Carnival is a great example of what makes Dartmouth so unique- our school has an incredible passion for the outdoors and we are in an ideal location to make the most of it. As DOC VP, I want to take full advantage of the resources
around Dartmouth to get as many people outside as possible!
Please consider me for the position of DOC VP. I can promise you my focus, my dedication, and my genuine desire to improve the DOC. Thanks for your time, hope to see you outside soon :)
Lauren Mendelsohn (17S, 17X):
Hey, I'm Lauren and I'm running for DOC Vice President for 17S and 17X. I have been involved in the DOC since my first term at Dartmouth, and I would love to be a part of the future of its organization. I am a leader in Cabin and Trail, a
captain and practice leader on the Woodsmen's team, and a member of summer trail crew. I am running for Vice President because I see the DOC as not only a nature exploration organization, but also a primary social space for many Dartmouth students. This
role can have a lot of influence over the way that the DOC runs as a social organization. I am interested in organizing both events that reach out to potential active new DOC members, as well as events which bring the present-DOC together as a whole. I want
to see an outing club that feels welcoming and accepting to all, regardless of previous experience, and a place where people feel that they are included at Dartmouth. I see cross-club events, including cross-club break trips, as a great way to build new friendships
and let people experience parts of the outdoors that they had never considered before. I am also interested in advancing the effort to maintain our trails, not only for hiking but for mountain biking as well. I have taken part in leading this effort within
Cabin and Trail, but I believe that it is the responsibility of the entire DOC to take care of these outdoor spaces, so that they can be used into the future. As a resident of the SLC, I would love to see the DOC take a more active role in championing environmental
causes, as a group people who benefit from nature every day. I would also push for more beginner-level trips, so that nobody feels too intimidated to join. I see the summer as a great opportunity to get more people involved in the DOC, as the campus population
is smaller, the weather is better, and people have more time on their hands. Overall, I would just like to make the DOC as much of a family for others as it has been for me. If it hadn’t been for DOC upper classmen reaching out to me so early on in my college
career, I wouldn’t be living nearly the same life at Dartmouth that I am today. I think that as Vice President, I could make that happen for lots of students, new and old, who are looking for another community at this school.
Rongfei Lu (17F):
Hi DOC! I am Rongfei, and I am running for VP in 17F. I know I have been off the campus quite a few times during my sophomore and junior year (in Uganda, Morocco, Germany and Washington DC), and I am probably an unfamiliar face to the 19s and the
20s. I served as the DOC treasurer in 15S, and DOC has offered me lots of opportunities to experience wilderness and make close friends, and I hope I can share the wonderful experiences with more people on campus, even with people who are intimidated by outdoors.
Through cooperating closely with other directorates and prioritizing budgets, I hope we can make DOC more inclusive, more welcoming, and a true home for everyone. As the ex-treasurer of DOC, I have understood how DOC works from the administrative
perspective, and as a junior who has witnessed a lot of changes brought by pervious and current DOC directorates, I hope to continue the initiatives on inclusivity, financial aid, and trip safety in order to push DOC forward as the leading collegiate outing
club. By maintaining close relationship with key college administrators, I hope to make DOC a better social space for everyone on campus.
Through my internship and academic interest in Engineering, I have proved myself to be a great problem solver. Through perseverance, logical approach and good communication, I believe that I can help the directorate execute the initiatives and future
vision more effectively and efficiently. DOC has always been the most important extracurricular of my time at Dartmouth, and I hope I can contribute my dedication to the club.
Laura Hutchinson (17X):
Hi all,
My name is Laura Hutchinson and I’m running for DOC Vice President this coming summer (17X). I am running for this position because I’ve had the opportunity to be on DOC directorate for three consecutive terms as a chair of Winter Sports Club and Women
in the Wilderness, and have really come to appreciate all of the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to make this club a reality. Most of my best moments at Dartmouth have been with the DOC- whether on an extended break trip to Northern Quebec or Southern
Arizona, or simply skiing some local glades in Vermont. I’d love the opportunity to have a larger role in facilitating, making possible, and even expanding the incredible things that this community accomplishes every term.
As vice president, I really hope to make this organization a place where everyone can thrive. I think one of the most unique parts of the DOC is that it simultaneously encourages complete beginners and challenges experts in a fun and positive environment.
I was lucky enough to find my stride within this organization early, and have been able to learn so much in two short years. But I know this is not the case for everyone. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in both better advertising the existing
resources and opportunities people can take advantage of through our organization, as well as making the DOC a space where anyone and everyone can feel comfortable signing up for a trip to learn something new outside.
Audrey Scott (17X):
My name is Audrey Scott, and I am running for Vice-President during 17X. As a Women in the Wilderness chair, I served on DOC Directorate this term and was able to engage in conversations concerning the DOC’s goals for this upcoming year. By serving
as a Vice-President, I would be able and committed to furthering current plans as well as creating my own. I am qualified because of my experiences and commitment leading WIW, being a member of directorate, and becoming leader in CnT.
I believe that increasing diversity in the greater-DOC is an important goal of ours, and one that can become more prevalent during 16X. The summer months are beneficial to fostering involvement in outdoor activities. Given the warm weather, people
want to get outside, and they are more willing to bring their friends. I believe that it is important to have someone on Directorate who will make a diligent effort to contact and plan with groups catered to diversity and that will connect them with our resources
and leaders—whether it be through co-led hikes, kayaking trips, overnights, dinners, or trips to the river. This term, Women in the Wilderness tried to connect with a group formed to augment inclusivity, and we realized how difficult this process can be. Seeing
the problems that arose inspired me to think of solutions to avoid conflicts in the future. While we could not rearrange our schedules this term, we realized that planning early and finding a wide swath of leaders could increase the chances of events like
these occurring.
The DOC has become a major aspect of my Dartmouth career, and I regularly attend both CnT and WIW meetings and feeds. I want the club to continue to foster and improve its inclusivity as well as increase the programming available to the wider-DOC.
As a member of directorate, I am sure that I could make these goals come to fruition.
Treasurer:
Andrew Crutchfield (17S, 17F, 18W):
I am running to be on the DOC directorate and fulfill the position of treasurer for the better part of the next year. There are a variety of reasons why I would love to hold this position, and why I believe that I would be able to serve the DOC above
and beyond the required role of treasurer. To start, I have been involved with the DOC for over three years now, beginning in my freshman fall. Starting my freshman winter, I became primarily involved with the Ledyard Canoe Club, but since sophomore summer
I have been expanding my involvement to other subclubs as well. I really enjoy the strong community in the DOC as well as all the awesome opportunities that are offered by each of the subclubs. I think that all the members of the DOC and all of the subclubs
are amazing, so I want to ensure that each member and each subclub receives equal representation at the executive level. As the treasurer, I would make each decision of the position in a deliberate manner and with a level head, to be compassionate towards
all sides.
On top of my enthusiasm for the position and desire to be a good representative of the entire membership, I think that I would be qualified to hold a financial leadership position as well. I have assisted with managing finances in other college organizations
in the past, and I know how convoluted the college’s finances can be. There are a lot of moving parts in the DOC, and no two subclubs or trips or individuals are alike, so when delegating finances to any of these places each instance must be treated independently
of others. Awards like the Schlitz Fund provide opportunities for individual members of the DOC to go out and do amazing things, which I am a huge personal fan of.
I understand that it is inherently not fair to provide some trips with funding over others, but I also understand the importance of special funding to allow the club to continue to inspire and support its members. I would love to be able to find
ways to fund more unique trips and increase funding for larger, established bodies as well. I think that there is currently a great system in place for the DOC regarding the transparency of funding as well as undergraduate involvement with and knowledge of
the club’s finances, built by years of previous work. I also think there are always ways to improve, however, and I will find whatever ways to make the system better. I would love the opportunity to serve on directorate which has been so accomplished and manages
to represent the needs of the DOC membership and subclubs so well, and if elected I would work hard to earn a place on that board.
Jackson Harris (17S, 17F, 18W):
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Mrs. Briggs asked the class. As she called on each child, one by one, conventional answers like astronaut, president, computer-science major, and doctor rang out. From the wilderness, one lone voice cried out
with conviction, "DOC Treasurer!" That voice was mine.
Eight years later, I have the incredible opportunity to pursue my childhood dreams. Only
with your support will I be able to wake up at 6am and attend the termly budget meeting. Only with your vote will I be able to represent Dartmouth students in outdoor-related finance. Only with your attention to voting deadlines will I be the
first from that fourth-grade class to make the late Mrs. Briggs proud.
Vote
for me, take me out to lunch, help me with my Econ homework.
Love, Jackson Harris
Rongfei Lu (17S, 18W):
“Flip flops?”
I still remember the laughter from my tripees when I went on a hike first time in my life two years ago. I came from a city in China where seven years ago, people did not know what hiking shoes look like. To me at that time, hiking seems to be just
“walking”, and apparently I was wrong when I came back barefoot from the trip. I cannot remember all the details about the trip, but what I do know, is that I fell in love with outdoors, climbed a 21,000 feet peak in the Himalayas, and two years later I chose
Dartmouth largely because of DOC.
Staring at the “deer poop” during the first year trip, hiking in the Acadia National Park, climbing Mt. Washington in the 85 mph wind-chill, almost drown in the kayak rolling session in the swimming pool, I have met lots of amazing friends through
DOC trips and social events. As probably the oldest heeler (Leader in training) in Cabin& Trail, I have co-led wilderness hikes and gone on multiple trips.
I know I have been off the campus quite a few times during my sophomore and junior year (in Uganda, Morocco, Germany and Washington DC), I know I am probably an unfamiliar face to the 19s and the 20s. I was the DOC treasurer in 15S, and DOC has offered
me lots of opportunities to experience wilderness and make close friends, and I hope I can share the wonderful experiences with more people on campus, even with people who are intimidated by outdoors. Through cooperating closely with other directorates, prioritizing
budgets, I hope we can make DOC more inclusive, more welcoming, and a true home for everyone involved. As the ex-treasurer of DOC, I managed a six figure annual budget, organized DOC budget meetings and communicated with Undergraduate Finance Committee to
secure the funds and got a significant increase in our budget. Also, I am currently interning at McKinsey, and I think I am able to do all the Excel monkey stuff since that is what the DOC treasury actually does :) I believe that the treasurer position is
a perfect fit for my skill set as well as my passion for outdoors.
Alex Derenchuk (17X):
I’m Alex Derenchuk, and I’m running for treasurer over 17X, this coming summer. I am a leader in the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club and have been involved in Cabin and Trail and Winter Sports Club. I’m running for treasurer because I want to give
back to DOC in return for all of the opportunities it has given me, and so I can have a hand in providing those opportunities to other students going forward. Sophomore summer is a time when we can get people who are marginally or not at all involved with
the DOC more active and engaged, and so it is especially important to make sure that trips and activities are as open as possible. As treasurer over the summer, I would prioritize subsidizing trips and events that extend the DOC’s reach across campus and help
more people enjoy the outdoors.
I am qualified to be treasurer because I am responsible, fair-minded, and willing to entertain many different points of view. I know budget meetings can get contentious, and I am able and willing to help settle disputes and figure out a solution
that everyone can agree on. In addition, I am the DOC representative to the Undergraduate Finance Committee this Winter/Spring, so I already have knowledge of the DOC’s finances and how money is distributed throughout the club, as well as a clear willingness
to commit my time for the benefit of the club.
Overall, I would serve as a fair arbiter committed to helping every sub-club run inclusive, low-cost trips which hopefully will expand our active membership and give everyone a chance to experience the outdoors in the wonderful way we all have. Thank
you!
Let me know if you have any questions!