Communities Nick Rouke
Learning the importance of studying broadly
On coming to Marlboro
I got here, and within the first 10 minutes I met people who were just like me, who were so grateful that it wasn’t just some hippie commune where they teach us to hug trees and whatever else. We just immediately got along. And I was immediately intimidated by the number of really talented people who were around. That was the hardest part about being a freshman here, because there were so many intelligent people and you realize that right away.
On writing at Marlboro
I thought I was a good writer, for a week. After you hand in that first paper, you get torn apart, and that’s the best way to do it. Laura Stevenson, my writing professor freshman year, said that she was going to beat the AP English out of us. The first paper I handed in—I got it back completely covered in red. It was a little disheartening, but Laura and I sat for a half an hour while she just walked me through it. And that happens all the time; there is so much support from faculty and staff and the Writer’s Block. By the end of the first semester I could see the improvement, which is the best thing that could have happened. Because now I’m always looking for improvement, in my writing and everything else.
On studying broadly
I was immediately pushed out of my comfort zone by my advisor, John Willis. It was so frustrating to be doing work that I thought I was not interested in, but I learned how to connect the work I was doing in other classes to my artwork, in terms of ideas and concepts. That ultimately made me a better person because I learned how to tie things in to my interests, not just in my artistic life, but all around. I feel like it’s important to push yourself out of that comfort zone, at least for a little while, or else you’re never going to learn anything. Maybe that’s a bold statement, but I had to do it.
On the Plan of Concentration
I’m studying photography and sculpture, focusing on themes of grief and depression and addiction right now. That will probably change a little bit in the next year or so. I am also going to be incorporating theater, specifically the plays of Eugene O’Neill and how he deals with those themes. Or how Edvard Munch’s paintings dealt with his grief and how he used them to cope with all the terrible things that were going on in his life. I gravitate towards all this because of my personal experience and because of the things I’ve felt in my life, and things I want to explain, for me.
On social life at Marlboro
I’ve met so many good people, and if there’s one thing that has kept me here through all the hard times, it’s my friends. It’s a small enough community, where you will immediately find people to interact with. And in my opinion, Marlboro is a safe haven for the socially inept. It’s like all the wierdos, which is a good thing. The best friends I’ve ever had are at Marlboro College, which is lame to say, but it’s true.