Hometown: Waltham, MA
Majors: Ryan: Accounting with a minor in music
Seamus: English with a minor in music
Year of graduation: Ryan: 2017
Seamus: 2019
Her Campus: What have you guys been involved with on campus?
Ryan Butler: I’m a member and captain of the men’s swimming and diving team. I’m also a member of the jazz orchestra and the concert band here on campus. I was also recently elected to be the vice president for the class of 2017.
Seamus Butler: Well, I really wish I had gone first so that I could have sounded more original, but I am also a member of the men’s swim team and I play the alto saxophone for the jazz orchestra and concert band here one campus.
HC: Ryan what was it like to be a captain of a team?
RB: It was a huge honor. Especially last year when everyone voted for me to be a leader on the team it was clear that they thought a lot of me. Coming into this year I think what I realized was that I didn’t need to change what I was doing and by them voting me in I realized that they were confident in my ability to be a captain. It was honestly a great experience and I’ve said it before: I don’t swim to be a captain; I swim because I love the sport. But it was certainly an honor and it made me realize how much work the coaches put in and the responsibility.
HC: That’s awesome. So what was it like to have a brother on campus?
SB: I’m going first this time. For me, being far from home was a little bit overwhelming, but having someone that I’m so close to was really helpful and it made it a lot easier for me to transition. Also, just having someone that I’m so close to and that I know I can always go to for help is extremely reassuring. Also, I know I was really excited to get to swim with Ryan again because when he graduated high school it was really sad that we were done swimming together, but now we have two more years together and that’s super exciting.
RB: We’ve had a few people confuse us, some people who know me and haven’t met him yet have come up to me and they’ll say something like, “I thought I saw you earlier, but it was really your brother” and that’s definitely funny. But I guess another really great thing about having Seamus here when we were growing up my mom always used to tell us, “friends will come and go, but your brothers will always be there for you.” And it’s true, Seamus and I are really close and we’re best friends and I know that we’re always gonna stick together.
HC: That’s really true, my mom used to say something similar with my sister and I. Going on with this idea of family, what is your favorite family memory?
SB: Ryan, I’m about to call you out. But, I learned how to ride a bike at the age of six without training wheels before Ryan did. And I will always be proud of that. I was disgusting on a bike.
HC: Well I guess the truth comes out.
RB: It’s cool dude. But I think my favorite memory is every summer we go to Cape Cod for two weeks and it’s just become a tradition. But one year when we were still pretty young, we were digging holes in the beach and we noticed that some kids down the beach from us were also digging holes. And it kind of turned into a competition. And I think Seamus started it, but he put a bucket on his head and then the next thing you knew everyone had a bucket on and we were all running around the beach making castles and stuff. It was really fun and its really silly looking back on it now, but it was still a good time.
HC: Ok well you both are really into music, so what artist has influenced you the most?
SB: I personally really like the rapper Lupe Fiasco. Most artists rap about sex and drugs, but he raps about real life issues and I really can connect with it. I mean I don’t know if it’s really influenced me, but it definitely gives me something to relate to. Honestly, I listen to a lot of different genres so it’s really difficult for me to pick just one artist who influences me.
RB: I mean I really listen to all sorts of music, but I always go back to Coldplay. They’re the only concert I’ve ever seen, but as a piano player their music really enlightened me to the fact that there’s more to play than jazz and classical.
HC: That makes sense. Finally, if you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
SB: I’d probably say Ireland or maybe Italy. I mean that’s where our roots are, so I think it would be really cool to see both places.
RB: Honestly, I want to travel the world, so I really would go anywhere. I’d probably have to flip a coin or something to figure it out.