Finding community through HIPS, Weird Books, the Tang, and Frisbee
Allie Serapilio ‘25 is an English major with minors in art history and environmental studies and sciences from Clifton Park, New York. At Skidmore, Allie serves on the executive board of the Health, Image, Power, Success (HIPS) student club, works at Skidmore’s Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, and plays on the Ultimate Frisbee club team. Those activities and a Scribner Seminar on Weird Books have all helped Allie to connect at Skidmore.
A few weeks into Allie’s first year, they attended their first meeting, where weekly discussions often center on topics related to body image and identity. Recent meeting themes have included friendship, the body in art, hair, and body modifications. For Allie, HIPS is an integral way she has found community at Skidmore.
“I love that HIPS is a place for me to connect and become close friends with people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. The topics are interesting and spark conversations that blossom into friendships. HIPS really helped with my transition to college because it helped me branch out and learn more about myself.”
Allie was also drawn to the , which features contemporary art exhibits throughout the year and is integrated into many courses at Skidmore. Allie works as a Tang guide, giving tours, overseeing the galleries, and answering questions from visitors. They also serve on the museum’s .
“The Advisory Council allows students to advocate for what we want to see at the museum and ways to get the Skidmore community involved with the Tang. This is an excellent opportunity for us because the Tang is a fully functioning art museum run by art professionals.”
Two of Allie’s favorite Tang student-supported events are for Halloween and Tang Hearts Students on Valentine’s Day. They also appreciate the collaboration involved in creating exhibits. “It’s typical for Skidmore professors from non-art departments, like neuroscience or mathematics, to contribute, too.”
Academically, Allie appreciates the flexibility offered at Skidmore to study a range of disciplines. Fortunately, they have been able to explore a wide variety of interests (both in and outside of the classroom) through involvement with the Tang and the Art History Department.
Allie also considers her first-year Scribner Seminar, Weird Books taught by Assistant Professor of English Paul Benzon, one of the most transformative classes she has taken. “We talked a lot about the philosophical side of English literature in Weird Books. We asked questions like what is a book? What does the physicality of books and literature mean and how does that impact the reading experience? This class really pushed me to think about books in a new artistic way.” Next fall, Allie will work alongside Professor Benzon as a Peer Mentor for the seminar. This role will give her the opportunity to mentor incoming first-year students and help them transition to college.
When Allie is not in class, leading a HIPS meeting, or conducting a Tang tour, they can be found playing Ultimate Frisbee on Skidmore’s club team, the Wombats. Allie was a varsity athlete in high school, so playing a club sport in college was an appealing way for her to continue exercising and being part of a team atmosphere.
“Frisbee is an amazing community. It’s nice because the team teaches all new members how to play the sport. At tournaments, when we are not playing, we go to cheer on our other teams, and we love to listen to music and dance.”