Division III Student Isaac Rubin F22 Builds Community Through Play and Projects
Whether he’s producing a film, helping with a student-written theater production, or planning a live-action role-playing game, Isaac “Ike” Rubin F22 is always working on something that brings people together.
Ike, who will graduate this spring, came to Hampshire to shape his own education — and he’s made the most of it. From studying psychology and botany, to organizing campus-wide projects, to generating a Division III video essay on the role of play, Ike is all about creativity and community.
We spoke with him about his studies, current projects, and advice for incoming students.
What attracted you to Hampshire?
I came to Hampshire because of the freedom and control it affords to students to engage with the school and their learning.
What takes up most of your time on campus?
The majority of my time is spent on projects, things that aren’t technically class but instead to further community on campus and get people out of their rooms and shells.
What are you studying?
When I came to Hampshire, I wanted to study educational psychology and rhetoric, along with as many other things as I could fit into my schedule. I ended up focusing more heavily on research psychology, which carried me through until the actual last semester of my Division II. At that point, I began taking a bunch of botany courses, after realizing the amount of passion I had for botanical research through a course taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics Kaca Bradonjic that focused on interrogating the ways we think about science. This approach, combined with the sheer variety of other classes I took during my time at Hampshire, led to a Division III on the question “Why do I enjoy doing so many different things?” and thus to the answer: Play!
Tell us about your Division III.
My Div III project is an interview-focused video on the purpose of play in people’s lives. It was inspired by the fact that I really enjoy doing projects in general, and especially at Hampshire because of the freedom the College affords me to be involved in work I care about. However, I don’t like doing projects where I’m responsible for writing an essay afterward. Because of the number of projects I do in different fields, none felt like it could encapsulate my work here in the way a capstone should.
My Division III being an essay about play turned out to be the best summation, because at the end of the day, all of the things I study are things I care about and that I enjoy playing around with and finding new ways to engage. A project in which I reconcile how that learning worked for me seemed like the best approach.
Anything else you’re working on?
Most of my time is spent on my Div III, but I recently helped out as a technical consultant for Heaven’s Door, a show written by Karim Barrett F23 as a reflection on life as a queer person of color in America utilizing Caribbean theology as a lens.
I’m also a signer (signers play a leadership role in student led organizations on campus) for a few clubs with big projects and events: first, Mythos — Hampshire’s premier live-action role-playing club. We’re preparing for our second game of the semester, Cowpoke Were-Horse on March 29. Earlier in March, Making Myths Living Legends held our semesterly game Deathfest, a massive, casino-style tabletop role-playing-game tournament.
Lastly, I’m working on organizing a Div III film festival with fellow Division III students and Second Sight Cinema (a Hampshire film club).
What’s some advice you’d give to incoming students?
This school expects a lot from you, but if you’re able to take advantage of the incredible amount of easy-to-access resources and get involved in the community, you can do some really incredible things that no other school would make as easy for you to achieve.
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