At Dartmouth College, students must navigate a rigorous academic curriculum that includes completing three “World Culture” courses, ten distributive requirements, an introductory writing course, a first-year seminar, and at least one foreign language course. While this curriculum may seem challenging to incoming freshmen, the Dartmouth timetable offers creative options for fulfilling these requirements, including the often-daunting “ART” distributive for those who may not consider themselves artistically inclined.
Some students choose traditional art classes, such as photography or painting, to meet the requirement. However, others explore more unconventional paths. The Dartmouth spoke with four students about their unique approaches to fulfilling the art distributive requirement.
For Abby Anthes ’26, an electrical engineering and materials science major, the art distributive initially took a backseat to her major coursework. Like many STEM students, Anthes found it challenging to incorporate the distributive into her demanding schedule focused on engineering prerequisites and major courses.
“Distribs haven’t really been a priority for me,” Anthes admitted. “My focus has been more on completing my pre-requisites and major classes first.”
This summer, Anthes enrolled in WGSS 65.06, “Radical Sexuality: Of Color, Wildness and Fabulosity,” a course that explores the intersections of sexuality, culture, and art. Although she initially chose the course primarily for its fit within her schedule and distributive requirement, Anthes found the subject matter unexpectedly engaging.
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