Hamilton College Admission Journals: Jimmy Nguyen

Never a Boring Weekend

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:41:31 GMT

Friday evening I attended the Hamilton College Theater Department’s play production The Marriage Bette and Boo. The play Is about the dynamics of a dysfunctional family. I found the play to be extremely sad at times and extremely funny at others. The cast Is talented, I would know, I took Introduction to Performance during my first year and was pretty bad at it - haha. I want to congratulate the cast for a truly remarkable and wonderful performance.

Saturday night was the Silent Disco! This event is held outdoors near the Kirkland Glen at 11 p.m. The campus downloads the same disco playlist and dances while wearing headphones. I had a great time dancing with friends late into the evening. The best part is that there is one Silent Disco every semester - something to look forward to.

On Sunday morning, the whole campus participated in the housing lottery. The seniors get first choice, then juniors, followed by sophomores. Some students say the housing lottery is the most stressful part of the school year, and I would agree. It is frustrating to see the rooms you want slowly be chosen by other people. I was fortunate to get what I wanted, which was two doubles next to one another in Eels. I will be living with my freshman year best friend, Jackson Graves, and two rising sophomores I met this year. All in all, I am really looking forward to next year!

(Cheers to Jackson Graves, Jasper Nash and Matt Sweeney. Here's is to next year!)

No Excuses!

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:23:57 GMT

Hello! Like every other Hamilton student right now, I am extremely busy. It’s just that time of year. Between my various academic commitments and everything that has been going on campus, I rarely have time for myself.

Last Monday was accepted students day. This is easily my favorite day of the year. Our campus was visited by students and their families, almost 700 people partaking in the day's programs. I love giving tours to accepted students because they are always genuinely interested in Hamilton. I hope to see some of these faces on the Hill next year!

On Wednesday, Michelle Alexander, author of New York Times bestseller The New Jim Crow, gave a lecture on her book's topic in the Chapel. She discussed the rising incarceration rates and the disproportionate representation of African Americans in prison. I had read her book prior to her lecture and used it as the premise of my summer research. Many of my close friends had dinner with Alexander, but unfortunately I could not attend because I had prior engagements. Still, it was fascinating and exciting to have Alexander in our chapel.

The next night Ian Bogost, an award-winning designer and media philosopher, also gave a presentation in the chapel. He lectured on “living with things” and the whole notion of "things." He was extremely hipster, and some of his material was over my head. An example was his discourse on “anything you can do, I can do meta.” It was a weird lecture, but definitely interesting nonetheless.

That same night I went to an Acoustic Coffee House hosted by our Campus Activities Board. Free coffee, chai and musical entertainment? What more could I ask for on a Thursday evening!
It was also recently announced that Macklemore will be coming to our end of the year concert. How awesome right?!

I have been preparing all weekend for an exam and literature review, both of which are due tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Taiko Drums and A Capella!

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:22:18 GMT

Hello! I have been really busy as of late studying and attending various Hamilton events.

Last Wednesday, Hamilton hosted Taiko drum and dance students from Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan. It was an hour of awesome traditional Japanese drumming and choreographed dancing and a nice way to take a break from studying on while getting an introduction to something I have never seen.

On Saturday I attended the Hamiltones 25th anniversary a capella concert. President Joan Hinde Stewart was in attendance, and I am sure she, too, enjoyed Ingrid Michaelson’s Blood Bothers, Rusted Root’s Send Me on My Way and an NSYNC mash up, among many other songs. At the end, many of the Hamiltone alumni got on stage to join current members in a performance. I could tell the group put a lot of effort into their quarter-century show!

(Cheers to Clare Rock ’16 and James Robbins ’16 for being my favorite first-year students and for attending these events with me.)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2017!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:21:08 GMT

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2017! How exciting to have the next four years at Hamilton waiting for you! I truly am happy for those lucky members; you wanted Hamilton, and Hamilton wanted you.

I’ve said this before in an earlier entry, but as a soon-to-be student, you have no idea how exciting the academic journey will be. As a soon-to-be friend, you have no idea the fun that you will have. Most importantly, as a Hamiltonian, you have no idea of the great community you have just become a part of.

Top three things to do if you are visiting as an accepted student:

1. Take another tour and fall deeper in love with the college, or just walk around by yourself.
2. Get an Opus cookie at the Opus Café. SO GOOD.
3. Go to the Glen! So much nature all around and it’s peaceful.

(Cheers to you, Class of 2017 and the admissions staff for all their hard work!)

Alternative Spring Break!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:01:15 GMT

Greetings! For the second half of spring break, my co-leader, Tara Hansen, and I led a Habitat for Humanity trip to South Carolina. We are part of a program known as Alternative Spring Break, and at Hamilton, we send groups of students to Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi and several other states for various outreach programs. Some groups built homes with Habitat for Humanity, others traveled to New Jersey to join Hurricane Sandy relief groups, and still others participated in hunger relief programs.

My group left Sunday morning at 6 a.m. and arrived at 7 p.m. We drove all 12 hours with few breaks traveling to Marion County South Carolina. In a week, our group took apart and shingled an entire roof and then paved a driveway.

On our day off, we traveled to Myrtle Beach where we had a picnic, took long walks on the beach and hung out in the sand. It was extremely relaxing.

Never in my life have I eaten so much comfort food! It was a bit difficult to be vegetarian in the South, but I had my fair portion of mash potatoes, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, biscuits and way too much dessert - haha.