Hamilton College Admission Journals: Nicolas Keller Sarmiento

Living in Clinton, NY

Tue, 03 May 2011 17:29:59 GMT

The village of Clinton is nestled in upstate New York, home to approximately 2,000 residents. The nearest airport is 45 minutes away. Yes, it may look like a small town in the middle of nowhere, but don’t let that fool you. Even though it seems like we’re ages away from anything and everything; we’re not! While all the activities on campus keep students here most weekends, it's nice to know that we're not far from city life if we need it. In fact, I spent spent two of the last three weekends in Boston and in New York City.

On the weekend of April 16^th, my a cappella group and I went to Boston to perform at Northeastern University. We left early Saturday morning and headed to the Boston area. The first stop we made was at Legal Seafood where we all indulged in delicious seafood. It was great to sing at another college, because we not only got to showcase our talent and hard work, but we also got to see how different other colleges are from ours. Northeastern had some solid a cappella groups, but we Hamiltones represented Hamilton very well. Obviously, I’m rather biased, but I think we honestly sounded pretty good. We all drove back on Sunday morning.

Last weekend I stayed on campus. One really fun activity that happened then was the 24-Hour Film Festival. It’s a pretty self-explanatory event: groups get 24 hours to write, cast, shoot and edit a short film. Lauren Zoltick ’11 was leading a team of her own and she asked me to play a part in her film. I’m glad I said ‘yes’, because it was really fun. You can see the short film on YouTube under “Federal UnderCover Campus Safety Unit“. Our team won 1^st place, which was a nice reward for our hard work. Other people had fantastic pieces, too, ranging from hilarious documentaries to contemplative silent films.

This past weekend I went to New York City to meet up with my grandmother and cousin who were visiting from Argentina. My sister is currently a freshman at the New School and she joined us in our Big Apple adventure. As the only male among three teenage-spirited women (my grandmother is definitely still a teenager at heart), I was forced into the black hole of shopping –once they’re in it, there’s no going back. You can probably tell that I’m not the shopping type. After several hours in SoHo and Brooklyn involving life-changing decisions (“buy the pink or the blue blouse?”), we emerged and finished our Saturday by going to a quaint Italian restaurant for some great pasta. On Sunday, I met up with my wonderful friend, Genevieve, and we took a train back to Hamilton.

The Utica train station is only 15 minutes away. If you have a car, we’re around four hours away from New York City, Boston, Montreal and Toronto.

Maybe we aren’t near any buzzing metropolitan cities. Maybe our neighbors are mostly cows and deer. But we definitely aren’t in the middle of nowhere. My friends and I drove up to Montreal for our spring break and had a great time. It’s great to have the possibility to travel around the northeastern part of North America, while still having quiet, little Clinton to call home.

Orientation Leader!

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 22:29:13 GMT

I was on the phone with my mom a few days ago and I said to her: “Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I was offered a position as Orientation Leader.” After a quick sigh, she answered: “What? Nico, stop signing up for things! Remember you go there to study.” I know I do. Believe me, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done during the school year. And it gets done. But luckily, being an Orientation Leader doesn’t interfere with academics, so don’t worry mom.

As all Hamitonians know, orientation plays a big part in our journey from high school students to college students. Chronologically speaking, it’s merely a switch of location, building and intensity. However, mentally and emotionally speaking, transitioning from a high school mentality to a college mentality is … well, it’s sort of a big deal. Neil Armstrong would define it as ‘one short drive for mom, one giant leap for my life’.

I remember having somewhat of a panic attack the night before driving up to Hamilton. SNL actress Kristen Wiig put it best: My panic attack was having a panic attack. It’s called a panic-anic attack. I was terrified, excited, nervous, thrilled, worried, and ecstatic all at the same time. I never knew so many emotions could fit in my body. I suddenly felt emotions I didn’t even know existed! OK, I might be exaggerating a bit, but just a little. I really hope other people felt like this too. If not, I’m probably just exposing my quirky, idiosyncratic tendencies to the world. Whoops.

Nevertheless, transitioning to college is a big deal. We OL’s are hired to ease that transition. The incoming freshmen are divided into around 30 different orientation groups. The other students in your orientation group will live in your same building, which is great because the first people you meet are your neighbors. After learning names, we would play games and go to different lectures. It’s really nice to have some time on campus to get to know people, to get used to the new location and to learn the in’s and out’s of college life –without having to worry about schoolwork. Orientation Leaders are not paid, so I can assure you that all the upperclassmen greeting incoming freshmen are there because they want to be.

So, if you’re crossing out days on your calendar to that dreaded, yet anticipated moving day, just know that Orientation Leaders will be there on the other side. We’ll be here on the Hill, awaiting your arrival. We’ll be cheering and screaming like there’s no tomorrow! Believe me, this is the most excited and energetic you will see us before 10am. Ever!

Spike Lee

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:19:06 GMT

Being a Hamilton student opens many doors for you. For example, last week I met Spike Lee.

As a member of the Voices of Color Lecture Series (also known as VCLS) we had been working hard for months on end. After lots of meeting, organizing and rescheduling, on April 13^th we finally got to meet the acclaimed director.

When we students go to lectures and speeches, we don’t normally see everything that goes on behind the scenes. We simply attend, ponder the issues addressed and leave. Little did I know that there is so much that goes on in the background that audiences have no idea about.

With a solid team backing her, Alexandria Dotson ’11 led us through the process of bringing Spike Lee to campus. There are so many things that need coordinating. Alex and our team were in charge of getting in touch with Mr. Lee; finding a date (which then needed rescheduling); getting the sponsors necessary; reserving the location; selling tickets and raffles; managing transportation; designing, printing and displaying posters; scheduling screenings and so many other things. There is so much more than meets the eye. Luckily, with everyone’s cooperation and support, we were able to work together to make the most of Spike Lee’s lecture.

On April 13^th we greeted Mr. Lee in the Spencer House where we held a reception for him. After taking pictures with him, Alex Dotson and I rode with Mr. Lee to Wellin where we escorted him to his dressing room. After running around, finishing some Spike Lee-related errands, I made my way to my seat in the front row to sit back and enjoy.

Getting to meet Spike Lee and talk to him was an experience and opportunity that I would never have had, had I not participated in VCLS and attended Hamilton College.

Opus, heaven on campus.

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:01:09 GMT

Hamilton College houses two captivating, picturesque coffee houses originally named Opus 1 and Opus 2. They are fantastic. If you’re ever on campus, you should definitely stop by!

The two Opuses are strategically placed on opposite sides of campus as havens of delicious goodies. Their hot chai and chocolate chip cookies seem to lure work-wearied students from breakfast time until late at night.

The most appealing aspect of Opus, besides its fantastic food, is its charming and homey feel. It's decorated with foreign currencies, old photos, quirky action figures, and random artifacts all hanging over the counter. Besides chairs and tables, Opus is furnished with lots of couches, which are (unfortunately) extremely comfortable. There is one in particular which engulfs naïve students in an ecstasy of euphoric comfort. I know that if I sit in that couch, I will not leave for a good hour or so. There should be a sign saying: “Couch is too comfortable. Sit at your own risk.”

If you’re about to embark on a long night of studying I would recommend the Opus Magnum. This delightful coffee is sure to make your caffeine-depraved wits stay as motivated as the energizer-bunny till the wee hours of the morning. If it’s the weekend, and you want to take the prettiest girl in college out on a date, I would recommend a good chai or mocha with a shot of anything for some extra taste. On weekends, Opus has lunches too. Even though they aren’t included in the lunch program, people line up to get the delicious sandwiches that the coffee house offers.

Both Opuses hire students to work there, so when you go for, say, a blueberry muffin, you might find a friend of yours attending you.

I love Opus. I’m pretty sure most Hamilton students do too. I look forward to the days when I return to the college and meet up with friends at Opus to reminisce about our days on the Hill, munching on a chocolate chip cookie and sippin’ a warm hazelnut vanilla coffee.

Don't Give Up!

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:49:44 GMT

Firstly, I would like to congratulate all those accepted to Hamilton College Class of 2015. You made it! I look forward to meeting you all next fall.

I can distinctly remember when I got accepted, and when I got rejected.

In late 2007, I applied to Hamilton for the Class of 2012. In Argentina, we finish our academic year in December. So I had an 8-month gap between the end of high school and the beginning of college. When I decided to apply to US colleges, I had no idea how hard the process would be. Little did I know, I would have to juggle studying (and taking) my SAT tests, IB exams and Argentine national curriculum finals. Let me add that I had little experience taking multiple-choice tests where vocabulary and speed is of the essence; our IB exams were long and arduous analytical papers with generous amounts of time. Of the 130 students from my high school’s senior class, 2 of us came to study in the U.S. You can imagine that the resources available to us were rather limited because only 1 in 65 students had an interest in studying in the U.S. Despite all the obstacles and conflicts that came my way, I managed to send off all my applications.

I applied to many colleges, and got many “no, thank you’s.” Hamilton’s letter came in the mail, it was the small envelope and it brought unfortunate news. A few colleges said yes, but I wasn’t fully convinced. If I were to (literally) go halfway round the world to attend college, I wanted to make sure that I really wanted it. So I decided to give it another try. The schools that accepted me were good, but I knew that there was more out there. In reference to Harry Potter, why settle for a public school near Privet Drive, when I aspired to Hogwarts?

I decided to take a year off, in addition to the 8-month gap from December to August. During my lengthy gap year I travelled around Europe and the Middle East, I worked in a hotel-vineyard by the Argentine Andes, I took various writing and acting courses, I interned at a major Argentine FM radio station, co-directed my middle school’s play, re-took my SATs, re-did my college applications and worked at Sony Pictures in New York City. Yeah, I kept myself busy.

I was lucky enough to interview at Hamilton College and I really think that that helped my chances. It gave me the chance to become a person with a name and not just an application with a number.

Months after my interview, I got the envelope. It was large. You can probably deduce the rest. Hamilton picked me, and from that moment on I was set. Looking back now, I really didn’t consider any other college too much.

When I was a kid, I was always worried that I would not know whom to marry. My mother would comfort me by saying: “When you know, you know.” Even though I don’t want to sound incredibly cheesy, I might have to. When I got accepted at Hamilton, I knew.

My journey to Hamilton was a long one, and it wouldn’t have happened if I would have taken ‘no’ for an answer.

To those students who were accepted to Hamilton College 2015, CONGRATS!