When I arranged to meet this week’s campus cutie, self confessed coffee addict Nick Cargill, he proposed we take in a cup of java at one of his favourite spots in Aberdeen – Books and Beans on Belmont street. After being forewarned about the low quality coffee by our cutie himself, I grabbed a cup of tea and prepared my questions before he arrived. Twenty-two year old Nick sauntered in bang on time and smiling, ready to answer the hard-hitting questions I had ready for him…
Knowing that Nick is pursuing his degree in Law the most obvious question was whether or not he wanted to be a lawyer, a question that he answered with no hesitation… “Absolutely not, it would be so boring! I’m not sure what my ideal job would be, but I’d like to either work as a ski patrol in North America or as a fund manager”. Call me crazy (many have), but I think ‘ski patrol’ sounds significantly more exciting than ‘fund manager’. As a girl who spends her funds far too quickly for them ever to be managed by anyone other than PayPal, I asked Nick what a fund manager actually does, and the answer confirmed my worst fears… “A fund manager takes private people’s investments and pulls them together in a fund and spreads out the investments between various stocks and shares, then you buy and short sell so you make money and the person who put money into the fund gets paid a dividend at the end of the year based on how well the fund has done”. Now, no one could accuse me of having a head for numbers, but ‘Nick Cargill: Fund Manager’ sounds significantly less exciting than ‘Nick Cargill: Ski Patrol’.
Moving swiftly on and steering the subject away from investments (an ASOS coat is totally counts as an investment right?!) I quizzed Nick about his time at uni and what societies he’s part of… “I’m a keen skier so I’m part of ABDN snow, I’m also a member of the clay pigeon shooting club and weight lifting. I used to play rugby, but I haven’t in a couple of years”. Nick later returned to this question and asked that I note that he’s also involved in something called the High Council. After pressing him for details – to no avail – I have had to conclude it is either something dark and twisted or something quite fabulous. Either way, noted.
So, you mention skiing a lot Mr. Cargill, have you ever taught or is it just a hobby? “Before I came to uni I spent seven months in Canada – Whistler – teaching skiing. I loved it”! Admitting that the adrenaline of skiing is part of the sport’s appeal – “there’s something truly great about standing at the top of a really icy run and getting down in one piece” – Nick also said that: “it sounds quite selfish, but it’s quite an individual sport, I like just cruising down the piste on my own and having the world to yourself and totally silent.”
After getting to know the chap a little better, I felt it was time Nick answered some tough questions, so I prepared a quick-fire round… (drum roll please…)
RHQ: Biggest accomplishment?
NC: Making it to fourth year law, definitely.
RHQ: It’s your first time cooking for lovely lady, what are you making?
NC: Venison casserole
RHQ: Top five? [note to readers: Nick had no idea what this meant]
NC: JLaw (duh), Angelina Jolie (duh), Keira Knightly and a young Britt Ekland (who?)
RHQ: Savoury or sweet?
NC: Got to be sweet.
RHQ: Perfect first date?
NC: Casual drinks so we could… loosen up? *awkward laugh*
RHQ: Perfect woman?
NC: I don’t know? I just like what I like. Does it have to be a person? I don’t have a person! Emmm… someone nice, with a good personality, well dressed always helps, funny… Yeah.
RHQ: Fave drinking game?
NC: 21.
RHQ: Are you on Tinder?
NC: Not for a while. [note to readers: completely off the record (unfortunately), Nick explained to me the ‘science of Tinder’ and it was the best insight into a male brain I’ve ever had. Boys are weird.]
After surviving my journalistic prowess, I allowed Nick a sip of his, now stone cold, coffee and we concluded the interview on a positive note. He told me who would play on the soundtrack to his life; an eclectic mix featuring Biggie Smalls (I feel so out of my depth just contemplating that), Jedi Mind Trick, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and David Bowie. Nick seemed a little daunted when I asked him about his Five Year Plan, but after thinking about it decided: “I’ll hopefully have graduated uni, and either be living in London working in Finance or living in North America working as a ski patrol… who knows!”
A lover of weird, viral videos (snap) and all things coffee related, this week’s Campus Cutie was great company and all round good guy. Look out for Nick on campus and be sure to ask him what the… dickens… the High Council is! Over and out.