Name: Ben Shafer
Year: Senior
Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
Relationship Status: Single (and looking)
Zodiac sign: April Taurus
So Ben, are you involved in anything at school? I’m apart of Phi Alpha Epsilon, which is the School of Public Health Society and I’m also involved in the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education Academic Excellence Society.
Are you currently working? No, but I have a couple interviews lined up. One’s for the View, that’s where I live, and the other one’s for a Biomedical Research Program at NIH.
What’s your major? Double major in Bioengineering and Kinesiology.
Wow. What made you want to do that? I’m doing it to become a Neuroprosthetic Engineer.
What does that entail? Attaching robotic limbs to people’s nerves, which doesn’t exist yet but it’ll be cool to be the one to figure it out.
That’s cool! And why did you decide to come to UMD? Well actually, I transferred here two years ago from University of Colorado, Boulder. I wanted to come to a place that was less fun so I could focus more on my academics.
I see. Did you do anything fun over break? I went snowboarding, I delivered pizza and I went to Poconos for a weekend with my friends.
Where’s Poconos? They’re the mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I did some more snowboarding there.
Sounds fun! So Ben, why don’t you have a girlfriend? Hmm, I guess I just haven’t found the right one yet.
Two words that would describe your dream girl. Beautiful and intellectual.
Any celebrity crushes? Selena Gomez. She’s my type; exotic looking, dark hair, big beautiful eyes.
Do you have any offs? Any bad smell at all… (laughs). Like literally, any bad smell. Like if she had tuna earlier that day… get away from me. I mean, we’re sharing breaths while we’re making out… gross. At least throw in a piece of gum or something.
Haha what about turn ons? A girl that doesn’t need me but wants me anyway.
How do you go about meeting girls? Usually I’ll get close to them, like be around them and see what makes them laugh, then I take it from there. That sounds kinda creepy, doesn’t it?
Haha kinda. What do you mean by that? I mean, if a girl’s at the bar then I’ll go up and buy and drink and maybe kinda eavesdrop for a bit. Then see if I can cut in and add in something funny. But that doesn’t happen too often. I usually just talk to girls who I have mutual friends with. I’m actually pretty shy when I go to the bars.
Even with a couple drinks in? Yeah, haha. I think too much about what I want to say.
What do you like to do with your spare time? Well, I just quit rugby so I guess I’m just working on trying to stay in shape. And I like to go out in College Park, Bents is my spot. Who says spot anymore? I mean whatever.
Is that where people can usually find you? Yeah, usually Bentley’s on the weekends. I’m also at the View gym or just speeding around campus on my bike with my headphones in.
Tell us a fun fact about you. I used to do musicals in high school so I think I have a pretty decent singing voice. I just like to sing (as he starts singing along with some 90’s jams playing in the background).
What’s a song that describes your life? Rite of Spring by Angels and Airwaves.
Why that song? To me, it means that even though things were tough in the past, it all lead me to this point and I’m happy where I am now — “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Aw, I see. So, what would you say is your biggest fear? The dark. For sure. I’m totally afraid of the dark. Like big dark open spaces.
Even in your room? No, haha just outside. In the middle of no where type stuff. Oh and getting rejected, that’s kinda why I don’t talk to a lot of girls at the bars.
If you could change one thing about you, what what it be? Being better at making time for things I want to do.
Any guilty pleasures? I watch anime all the time.
Describe yourself in 3 words. I want to say eccentric but maybe a little less than that so maybe like semi-eccentric? Definitely goofy. And maybe a little too smart for my own good. Damn, that makes me sound so cocky but I guess that works.
Anything else you’d like to share? If you’re a girl that’s interested, please don’t be afraid to talk to me. I’m just not that great the other way around haha.