If you didn’t already know David Tracy, you definitely do after Friday night’s Big Man on Campus competition. We sat down with the man himself to hear more about how and why he got involved with BMOC this year, his thoughts on winning, and more about his musical talents that made him such a hit at the show. Read on to learn all about one of EC’s most likeable guys!
Her Campus Emmanuel: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us tonight! Let’s get started with the basics. For those of us that don’t know, what are you studying here at EC and what kinds of things are you involved with on campus?
David Tracy: I’m a senior chem major, and I’m a member of the Chemistry Club. They’re actually the ones who nominated me for Big Man on Campus. I was also the manager of the men’s soccer team this fall. In past years I was in two musicals at MCPHS and one my freshman year here at Emmanuel. I also have an off-campus internship at Harvard Medical, which I got after doing some summer research in a bio lab the summer after my freshman year.
HCE: Wow, you’re a busy guy! So, why did you want to participate in BMOC this year?
DT: Well, because I knew Dr. J, and I was very affected by her passing. I took one of her last classes with her, Intro to Toxicology. She was teaching even through her treatment which was really powerful. It was sad, but also really motivating, because she definitely wanted to come to class every day. So, anything really that was in her memory is something that I wanted to be a part of. Also, I’m good at laughing myself, so…
David (second from top left) with Chemistry Club and advisor Dr. J
HCE: I’m sure she would be proud and humbled to know that. How did it feel to win? What did that mean to you?
DT: Oh, well, I was never really doing this to win and be Big Man on Campus. I was just doing it to raise money for a good cause. But it felt great to win; it was awesome! I didn’t expect to win at all. It really meant a lot to win because I commute, so my first couple years of college people didn’t really know who I was. So it was nice to feel recognized. Shoutout to all the commuters.
HCE: Aw, we love to hear that. Tell us about your talent; it’s clear you’re quite the performer. How long have you been singing and playing guitar?
DT: Okay, so I’ve been performing a long time. I learned to play the guitar when I was thirteen, and I also do theater; my first show was in the third grade. It was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I was Willy Wonka [laughs]. I’ve kinda been doing it ever since then. I did a bunch of musicals throughout high school and a couple in college. I played Prince Charming in Cinderella, Danny Zuko in Grease, Adam Sandler’s character in The Wedding Singer, and Ren in Footloose; those were all in high school. In college, I was Roger in Rent and Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors. I’d say I’m a singer first though; that’s what I identify the most with. I really like acting, but I’m a singer first, and the acting just comes with it.
David as Roger in “Rent”
HCE: We didn’t know we were in the presence of such a celebrity! Those are all great roles and great shows. Do you have a favorite musical?
DT: Currently, my favorite is Hamilton, but a close second would be Les Mis.
HCE: What’s your dream role?
DT: That’s a really good question…. Probably Lafayette from Hamilton; that’s a cool role.
HCE: Solid choice. You mentioned earlier that you had been planning to try out for our men’s soccer team this year but you were injured over the summer. Did you play soccer in high school?
DT: Yeah, so I was gonna play this fall, but over the summer I tore my ACL and had to get reconstructive surgery. That kinda took trying out for the team off the table. But I got the chance to be their team manager, which was great and a lot of fun. I did play soccer in high school for all four years, and I’ve continued to play here and there throughout college, not for Emmanuel, but whenever I can. I play goalkeeper, so I guess you could say I’m a keeper [laughs].
HCE: There’s a great line for picking up the ladies! So, being a senior, you must be spending a lot time thinking about that terrifying thing called real life after graduation. Do you have any post-grad plans right now?
DT: Oh, goodness. Currently, I’m going to take a year break and I’m hoping to continue working at the same lab I’m in over at Harvard Med. After that, I wanna go to grad school and get a Ph.D. in toxicology.
HCE: Seems like a solid plan to us. For those of us non science majors out there, what does toxicology entail? What’s your dream job in that field?
DT: I’ll probably be working in a lab, like a government job. I’ll be looking at stuff like toxins and diseases, things like that. That’s the ultimate goal. My dream job is any job at this point. We can work on the “dream” part later.
Sounds about right for all of us seniors out there. Thanks to David for sitting down with us, and we can’t wait to see what EC’s Big Man on Campus does next!