Name: Carson Sippel
Year: Sophomore
Major: Economics
Minor(s): Global Trade and Political Science
Involvement: Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Study Buddy Program; Philanthropy chair of the Interfraternity Council (IFC); member of Sigma Chi fraternity
Relationship Status: In a relationship
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, lift your spirits with this week’s Campus Cutie! He loves volunteering, the outdoors, AND Scrabble – meet Sigma Chi’s Carson Sippel!
HC: So in light of Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?
CS: I’m thankful for the basics, like my friends, my family, my dog, this school, how much I’ve enjoyed my time here, and the solid relationships I’ve made.
HC: Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dish?
CS: I like turkey and ham with mashed potatoes and gravy.
HC: What about dessert?
CS: Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top.
HC: Sounds delicious! So you said you volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Study Buddy. Can you tell me more about that?
CS: The things I’m doing now are like the kinds of things I did in high school – I worked a lot with intercity schools in Memphis because they’re really in a bad state. I did that in high school and it peaked my interest, so now I want to do the same things here that I did at home.
HC: What inspired you to volunteer at intercity schools?
CS: My dad works a lot with [intercity kids] in Memphis. He’s trying to reform the public school system. So he started a school and he was like, “You should come and help out. I think you’d like it.” So that’s something I’ve done since the 9th grade.
HC: Do you have any favorite hobbies or hidden talents?
CS: I was ranked in Tennessee for my Scrabble game. So I still like playing Words with Friends. I was really good at Xbox as well. It’s kind of my nerdy side. I played sports in high school – I was a baseball and football player, so I play intramurals here.
HC: Do you have a favorite Scrabble word?
CS: “Jonquils” – it’s a type of flower. It racks up a lot of points because the J and Q are both worth 10 points.
HC: Do you have a favorite Xbox game?
CS: I was nationally ranked for Call of Duty in the 10th grade. You have to sign up through a website and you play people across the country and make your way up. I haven’t played it in a while; I’m glad I outgrew it, but it was fun while it lasted.
HC: What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day?
CS: After a long day, I would love to go off campus and eat at Chipotle and then go and lie in bed and watch a movie or Netflix.
HC: Do you have a favorite thing to watch on Netflix?
CS: I love “How I Met Your Mother.” I finished that this summer. I know “Dumb and Dumber” just got added because “Dumb and Dumber To” came out – I love those kinds of movies.
HC: How did you and your girlfriend get together?
CS: We met during rush week and then she asked me to a date function and we had a lot of fun. Then I asked her to the next [date function] and we just started talking, and it escalated. We started dating like a month later.
HC: Describe the best date you’ve ever been on.
CS: So for [my girlfriend’s] birthday, we woke up and went to a diner downtown. Then we went and hiked Pilot Mountain. We had a hammock and tied it to two trees and sat there. We were kind of like one with nature (laughs).
HC: Do you have any major turnoffs?
CS: Girls that play dumb – who act like they’re really dumb and just laugh all the time. I’m more into the serious and intelligent type.
HC: If you could go on a date with any celebrity, who would it be?
CS: Sofia Vergara from “Modern Family.”
HC: Give me your top five of anything. Go.
CS: Friends, college football, bacon, dogs, and being outside.
HC: What’s the coolest experience you’ve ever had at Wake?
CS: My coolest experience at Wake was just coming and making friends with so many people from vastly different backgrounds, because everyone is from all over. I’m from the South and all I’ve ever known is people from the South. [At Wake,] I’ve made friends with people from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and California – just all over the country. That was really cool to me because I’ve always just lived in my bubble, for the most part.
HC: Do you have a favorite party theme?
CS: I like 90s theme a lot and the music that plays along with it because it takes me back to my childhood.
HC: Do you have a set 90s theme costume?
CS: I had a nice Adidas windbreaker that was green and some jorts (laughs).
HC: Do you have a spirit animal?
CS: I’ve been compared to a dog before, for whatever reason. Usually people say I’m like a dog, for better or for worse.
HC: If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?
CS: I would go to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. I went when I was in the 5th grade. I’ve only been once and I was just enticed by it. It was gorgeous – I could see the bottom of the ocean, like 20 feet down, through the big glass bottom boat tours. Any of the Virgin Islands, pretty much.
HC: Lastly, do you have any words you like to live by?
CS: I just go with the Nike slogan – “Just do it.”
*Photos by Raquel Broehm.