The Sun God unmasked: The amazing story behind Dartmouth’s infamous motorist
‘I feel like I’m still a kid because I never had time to grow up’
We descended underground to Boloco unsure of what lay ahead. There, we found ourselves in awe, sitting across the table from a figure dressed entirely in red…
The Sun God
Arguably one of Dartmouth’s most prolific and mysterious figures, it’s surprising how little campus knows about the origins of Hanover’s most famous motorist.
But now, in a b-side burrito basement, we had come face to face with the man behind the mask.
Catching up with the Sun God proved to be the highlight of our year as he answered many of the major questions that both we and the rest of Dartmouth share…
Jonathan exists as a character with two lives.
During the week he lives in Connecticut, working as a project manager in New York. On the weekends, he travels up north to Hanover to see his long term girlfriend, Amanda, and resume his performance as The Sun God.
Understanding the complexity of Jonathan’s life allowed us to truly understand the impetus behind the Sun God…
Where it all began…
Jonathan moved to Dartmouth as an undergrad student in 2009, after having a difficult time socially at the University of Maine. He studied Business primarily as an undergrad and later studied Creative Writing.
He frequently felt conflicted between the practicality of a career in business that his father had, and the more creative and spiritual side of his soul. He studied both disciplines as a way to decide what he wanted to do with his life.
When he started as a grad student at Dartmouth, he was determined to reinvent himself through character.
His performance served as a way to overcome the pressures he felt from the world around him. It liberated him and allowed him to truly express himself.
The costume provided an outlet for him to not care about what people thought, to overcome depression and to send an incredibly romantic gesture as he searched for his true love.
What is the Sun God?
“The whole project was what I wrote my thesis on, it’s hard for me to articulate, being very personal- but it existed as a way for me to express myself, to overcome depression, find true love, and also encountered a great deal about my family and relationships with them.”
When did the character first appear?
“I came out for the first time in costume at our former president Jim Kim’s inauguration… The name later came out as a result of a student article written afterwards.”
Has the performance changed since then?
“Well, I’m no longer in costume, that changed when Amanda and I started dating.”
Instead, now he frequently puts on a “theater-on-the drive” performance featuring the Sun God’s car.
The performance typically entails him driving around campus serving as Dartmouth’s unofficial spirit car, blaring loud music at obscene hours and raising the morale of the students.
Is there symbolism in the car?
“I’m sure there’s some unconscious symbolism to it all, with freedom and all that, but it’s mostly just because I love to be creative. Working in NYC it’s a bit of a death of poets, and the car is just a phase, as the costume was, to be creative and expressive.”
As a public figure, what’s the greater significance to the performance?
“Part of it was obviously meeting Amanda, but another part was not really caring what people thought of me and being socially free, realizing that life isn’t as serious as we make it out to be, and the costume just solidified that expression.”
What has been the hardest part of the performance?
“It was hard initially being judged overtly by other people, being watched by the school, and police, but eventually I realized they were out there to help me, and protect me.”
Why the loud music?
“The music provides synergy with ‘theater-on-the-walk’ and ‘theatre-on-the-drive’, when I drive around. It’s integral to expressing how you feel, and how other people are feel, and also reaches out to people to evoke certain emotions.”
“Part of it is an art based on nostalgia, things people can relate with on a neutral level, with things from people’s childhoods, that can take them out of their lives for a few moments back to when they were a kid. I feel like I’m still a kid because I’ve never had time to grow up.”
What are some common misconceptions people have of you?
Amanda: “When I first came to campus, as a freshman, the negative stuff I’d hear would be that he’s super creepy, and he stalks girls when he goes out, and someone even said that he was a terrorist.”
Jonathan: “I was so wrapped up in the project, like 8-10 hours a day, I mean I asked to wear it in class but they said no, but whenever I was doing homework I’d be in costume.”
“I think it scared people too, like at night, people would think I was out to get them. I think the biggest reason being that it’s such a small town.’”
Were you affiliated at Dartmouth?
“I’ve always been pretty firmly opposed to drinking and that party life, and I’d go out every day to show other students there are other ways to go out and have fun – without going to these scenes that I feel lots of people go to that they have to. The costume was to show an independence and let other people escape from that atmosphere.”
What happened last Friday when you were pulled over by HPo?
“Someone filed a noise complaint, and part of the procedure is that they’re obligated to check in, and they have to do it and tell me there’s a complaint. I wasn’t really in trouble, and I respect those guys for what they do.”
The vehicle itself never leaves its home, as it stays in storage here in Hanover during the week. Jonathan believes “the car does its job on its own, I can just leave it somewhere.”
Why do you dress entirely in one color?
“It’s like a uniform, it’s bold and a way to brand an image for people to remember me. I’d definitely like more people to come up to me, for sure.”
Why do you do it?
“Really I do it for you guys, the students, as a way to show you that there are ways to express yourself and be independent, that there are different ways to have fun. I mean I’ve put a lot of time, and money, into the performance, and it’s just to have a positive impact on your lives.”
Anything people know about you?
“Um, I like cats!”
Meeting the Darmouth icon gave us nothing but good impressions. The positive change one man has made to defeat depression, to find true love and belonging, redefining himself through his masked character performance despite sometimes negative attention, it’s a truly amazing story.
As one of the kindest, most compassionate characters around Dartmouth, you should definitely approach him around campus and talk to him sometime. Maybe give him some music suggestions or just chat to get to know the man behind the mask, to get to know the god that walks among us!