First, I'll explain who I am. I'm Nicholas Sugiarto, a '23 (freshman) from San Diego, California. Second, a quick disclaimer. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Prior to Dartmouth, I've never hiked, skied, or seen snow. So yeah, you could say that Dartmouth is quite a bit different from what I'm used to. You'll probably find me on campus stuffing myself at FOCO (the '53 Commons/Dartmouth's all-you-can-eat buffet) or exploring the Stacks at Baker-Berry (the main library).
I think each of us are hiding something. Not in that malicious, secretive way, but rather little passions that we've always wanted to try. You know? Like, things in which you had more than just a fleeting interest, but for whatever reason, never had the chance to try it out. For me, that's always been comedy. If you read over my intro post, you might remember that I self-identified myself as a "stand-up nerd." That's because I grew up watching a ton of it, which inevitably brings up the question of, "What if I tried it?" And not just stand-up comedy either. I meant, "What if I just tried comedy as a whole?" Comedy as an institution has always fascinated me, and I could go on and on about it, but that's neither here nor there. What's important is how Dartmouth has allowed me to explore this.
Since coming to Dartmouth, I've joined both the Dartmouth Jack O' Lantern ("Jacko"), and Dartmouth Comedy Network (DCN). Essentially the Jacko is the school's satire magazine that's been around since 1908, while Dartmouth Comedy Network is a sketch comedy/stand-up club that's been around since, well, spring of last year. They're a tad bit different, but both help me explore something I've never had the chance to do.
The best way to describe the two is that they're both just a ton of fun. Jacko's a space where I can try new things, and get genuine, honest critique on it. In an environment that is, objectively, very academically demanding, that freedom to explore and create with no judgement is just so refreshing. In fact, another of the bloggers, Jonathan Gliboff '20, is the president of it. Check his stuff out! But that's neither here nor there.
One important value that I hold is "whatever you do, have fun with it," which I often shorten to simply just "have fun with it." DCN has been another outlet for that. I've never tried sketch comedy nor stand up, and now I've done both. Since joining, I've both written directed and edited my own sketch, and, at long last, tried out stand-up for the first time.
Me performing stand up! Tons of fun!
Stand-up was a ton of fun. I kinda just went up on stage and riffed for a bit. My friends came out to watch me, and they had a good time too. All this begs that inevitable question. The sketches, Jacko articles, stand-up I do. Was it funny?
No. Probably not.
But that's not the important part. It's that I tried, and had fun doing so. Dartmouth for me has been a place to try new things that I could have never even imagined doing in high school. I'll improve over time, probably, but for the time being, I think I'll just have fun with it.
Because the town and school are small, they are extraordinarily interconnected and, in my experience, people in the community have been super welcoming. One long time Hanover resident even helped me pick out a good winter coat!
When I think of "old" at Dartmouth, I think of the many parts of campus that are rich in history. So this week, I went around to a couple of locations on campus to capture some of the historical parts of campus and their history.
I don't think any place exemplifies the stereotypical college town like Hanover and our dear old Dartmouth. Of the places at Dartmouth that have the best vibes, my vote — without question — goes to The Hop.
When I came to Hanover almost four years ago to start my freshman year, finding every place that serves coffee was of the utmost importance. Here's the rundown on the best places in town for coffee.
It's almost the end of my first winter here in Hanover, but that doesn't mean my friends and I didn't hop on the opportunity to go check out some ice castles an hour and a half north of us.
With National College Decision Day coming up, I have been thinking a lot about my own experience applying to college. So, let me tell you why I chose the College on the Hill.
Stand-up was a ton of fun. I kinda just went up on stage and riffed for a bit. My friends came out to watch me, and they had a good time too. All this begs that inevitable question. The sketches, Jacko articles, stand-up I do. Was it funny?
