Jackson Jhin: President, snowboarder, DJ. Meet the man who does it all.
Sophomore Jackson Jhin was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Before college, he completed his illustrious high school career as an Eagle Scout and the captain of the soccer team. His interests range from snowboarding in Utah to DJing here on campus. Anyone who talks to him for just a few minutes quickly picks up on his enthusiasm and love for his dorm, Carroll Hall. I had the chance to talk with Jackson in a rare moment when he wasn’t busy with his classes and activities.
Let’s start with a quick Notre Dame introduction: Dorm, major, hometown, and anything you’re involved in on campus.
I live in Carroll Hall. I’m from Houston, Texas; I have an eight-foot Texas flag in my room, and if you stop by, you may complete various activities as a prerequisite to signing it. I’m a Finance and Italian double major, and I’m hoping to go to Rome or Bologna spring semester of junior year. I’m the president of Carroll, leader of the Boston Consulting Group project in SIBC, I perform at Acoustic Café, and I DJ for SYRs.
Carroll is kind of a mythical dorm here on campus; some people still aren’t entirely sure where it is. What’s it really like to live there?
Carroll is much different than the rest of campus, but it’s nice in a sense because after class, it feels like going home. We’re the smallest dorm on campus—we only have 100 guys, so it’s a pretty tight knit community. Our most well known tradition is Vermin Go Gold, when the freshmen all have to bleach their hair.
Did you pull off the blond hair?
The dye made my hair more red than gold, but it was still an awesome bonding experience.
As the president of Carroll, you clearly have great leadership skills. What do you find are your greatest strengths as a leader? What advice would you give to anyone hoping to be in a position of leadership?
As Lord Farquad, my greatest strength is being creative about what the members of my dorm really want and trying to increase the image of Carroll. I’m always trying to get as many people out to see our lakeside estate as possible. As a dorm leader, I think it’s important to be the liaison from your dorm to the student body and the administration, especially because the dorms at Notre Dame are all so unique. It’s critical to keep in mind the culture of each dorm and to strive to respect and preserve their tradition and history.
Who are the most important influences in your life?
I always wanted to be Porter Robinson, a young EDM producer who became famous when he was only 19. As far as role models go, I look up to Martin Luther King, Jr. for his courage in the face of adversity.
What is your best memory at Notre Dame so far?
Last winter, my buddies from Carroll and I tried to see how far we could walk across St. Mary’s Lake. We made it to the small island, and my friend fell in up to his thigh about ten feet after we had passed the big island. We went back so he wouldn’t get hypothermia.
I know you’re planning a great new signature event for Carroll. Would you like to take this opportunity to get some free publicity?
Absolutely. This spring, we’ll be hosting the inaugural Carroll Coachella, an outdoor concert in the same vein as the Coachella music festival in California. We will have popular student acts and bands play, with an EDM focus and a festival feel. It will also include a volleyball tournament, food, drinks, and hopefully a moon bounce and a Slip ‘n’ Slide. Right now, it’s planned to take place on the afternoon of April 18th.
What do you have planned for the next two and a half years here?
I’m definitely planning on staying active in Carroll. My goal is to get people out there and to dispel any rumors and stigma about Carroll. Although it’s far away walking to campus, we are actually about 20 feet from the corner of D6 parking lot and have instant access to South Bend. If anyone is still unconvinced that Carroll is great, watch this video some Lyons girls made about us last year:
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Images: 1, 2 (provided by interviewee), 3, 4