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).
It's not what you think. Though it's kinda cool that I can *technically* say that.
Basically, one of my good friends is a prospective studio art major who is currently taking Sculpture 1. According to her, it's pretty demanding in terms of workload, but still one of her most enjoyable courses.
Part of what makes the class so demanding is that for each sculpture she creates, she needs to have a "digital component" to accompany it. And, for her artistic vision, she needed a model.
That's where I came in.
It was about 10 PM on a Tuesday night when my phone buzzed with a cryptic text reading:
"Need a model. Please come to BVAC [the Black Family Visual Art Center, the school's art facility]. Wear white. Bring [a mutual friend of ours]."
Having nothing better to do, I decided "Eh, why not. Let's see where this goes."
I show up, and long story short, I spent an hour or two wearing a bedsheet pretending to be a "blank, human pillow."
Me pretending to be a "human pillow," whatever that means
I thought that would have marked the end of my modeling career, until about a couple weeks later I got another text:
"Nick, come to BVAC again. Wear a black turtleneck. I need you to try on the 'Smiile Box.'"
Now, the 'Smiile Box' was another one of her various machinations. The best way to describe it is a massive, wearable post-modern wooden box with a lifeless painted smiley face. You put it on your shoulders and, when you speak, you're blinded by rows upon rows of sound-activated LEDs.
So, one trip to BVAC, a couple hours, and numerous disorienting LED flashes later, thus ended my second modeling endeavor.
A mock infographic for the "Smiile Box" starring me
A funny little outtake from when we shot the "Smiile Box"
The reason I tell this story is to pretty much show that Dartmouth is somewhat of a "nerd sanctuary"— a place where people can do whatever and explore whatever passion they want. And if I'm being honest with you? I love that about this school. There's gotta be a reason why I spent all those late hours at BVAC with my friend because, let's face it, I'm clearly not getting paid for this. Rather, it's because it's comforting to be surrounded by people who genuinely put passion into their projects. Not just art too. I have friends working on social impact, scientific research, etc. for no other reason than they genuinely want to. It's comforting, really. That wasn't something I could really get in high school.
There's something about being surrounded by that that's freeing— if everyone is open and free about doing what they love, well, it kinda makes you wanna do the same.
I'm going to be completely honest: sometimes college is hard! I've compiled some resources that are great if students want to take some time to de-stress.
Even if I won't see my fellows NADs (our powerful Indigenous community), Questies (Questbridge ʻ23s represent!), and First-Generation Low-Income (FGLI) folks for a little while, you should all know that you make Dartmouth a wonderful place to be.
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.
The reason I tell this story is to pretty much show that Dartmouth is somewhat of a "nerd sanctuary"— a place where people can do whatever and explore whatever passion they want. And if I'm being honest with you? I love that about this school. There's gotta be a reason why I spent all those late hours at BVAC with my friend because, let's face it, I'm clearly not getting paid for this. Rather, it's because it's comforting to be surrounded by people who genuinely put passion into their projects. Not just art too. I have friends working on social impact, scientific research, etc. for no other reason than they genuinely want to. It's comforting, really. That wasn't something I could really get in high school.
