Speed Stories, which began in 2016, is a new initiative that invites Dartmouth professors to share their life stories and values with students over dinner. We feature at least two professors per term sharing their stories.
Speed Stories partners include LLC House, Sustainability Office, Global Village, and Thought Project.
We ask faculty to share a portrait of who they were when they were 17-25 years old. We ask them to talk about what they cared about, what values shaped their lives, and what they "wanted to be when they grew up!" We then ask the featured faculty to share a portrait of who they are now and make a comparison. How have they changed, what sustains them in their work, how does the professional connect to the personal.
After the storytelling section of the evening, students are invited to ask questions of the faculty. Past questions have ranged from questions about academic study areas, romantic lives, personal faith, daily routine, predictions for the future, life at Dartmouth, and navigating professional pressures.
"Speed Stories provides unique insight into the lives and paths of academics here at Dartmouth. Although the professors tend to touch on their area of expertise, it is within the broader context of their life narrative rather than confined between the walls of a lecture hall. As a graduate student, the honest and often non-linear nature of these stories is valuable for me in navigating what it means to be an academic. But perhaps more importantly, Speed Stories give me access to the wisdom of those striving to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life." - Graduate Student