Described by his friends as being “fun,” “considerate,” and a “thoughtful puppy lover,” it is clear that Chris is quintessential campus celebrity material. Not only this, but he is super dedicated to his community; whether he is working in the IT department at OISE, volunteer tutoring at a public school, playing intramural volleyball, or sitting on the Senior Team for the Computer Science Student Union, this campus celebrity hosts an impressive resume. Last week I got the chance to sit down with Chris and find a little bit more about him, his dreams and aspirations, and what he looks for in a significant other.
Name: Chris Long
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Year of Study: 4
Program of Study: Computer Sciences
Status: Single
College: UC
Favorite…
Food? Tortellini
Book? “White Noise” by Don DeLillo
Film? The Godfather
Musician/Band? It fluctuates so much, but as of now, Future Islands
Quote? “We are such stuff/as dreams are made on” from The Tempest by Shakespeare
Pizza topping? I think the thing people underrate on pizza is the sauce you put on it…the base really changes the vibe of the whole thing. But if I were to choose a topping, chicken is delicious.
Fictional hero? He’s definitely not my hero, but a fictional character I find really interesting is Meursault from Albert Camus’ L’étranger; on the surface, he appears to be a really great friend and a ‘social pleaser’ but ends up making very poor decisions. It’s an interesting take on someone’s personality.
Travel destination? Vancouver, definitely Vancouver…but who knows, it might not even be a travel destination at some point, because I’m thinking of moving there!
Can you describe yourself in 3 words? Honest, determined, and tall
Fun fact about yourself? I’ve never been at a school for more than 4 years…I moved around a lot.
Top 3 turn-ons? I like good dancers, even though I’m terrible at dancing. Not terrible—but not that great! A good sense of adventure; somebody who gets up in the morning and says, “What are we doing today?” and when people play with my ear.
Top 3 turn-offs? Smoking, Uggs, and arrogance
Celebrity crush? The lead singer of the Scottish band “Chvrches”, Lauren Mayberry
Can you describe your idea of a perfect date? Doing something really different—just getting on the subway and going somewhere we’ve never been before. I also want to check out this place called Au Noir, where you eat in pitch-black darkness…it sounds like it would be really romantic.
Can you list a few things on your bucket list? I want to be able to dunk a basketball…I have to work on that vertical! Also bungee jumping—though funnily enough, I was going to go bungee jumping a couple of years ago but I hurt my knee working on my vertical so I couldn’t go. And skydiving, definitely skydiving.
What are your future aspirations? I want to buy a house someday…hopefully in Vancouver by the water. And just be somewhere where there is a lot to do. I want to have a job that I am happy with and feel as though I am contributing to the world for the better.
How would you define success? At the end of your life, everything should be measured by how happy you have been. I go by this Pink Floyd song which says, “All you touch and all you see/is all your life will ever be.” When you take away everything, we’re just living day-by-day impacting things around us, and if you’re happy with that, then I think that’s success.
What do you think is the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your university career? I think not being cocky is one of the biggest things. When I came here I thought I was some sort of top dog but I met so many brilliant people and realized that that was not the case. I’ve become a lot more open and humble by meeting so many different types of amazing people.
Do you have any mentors or idols you look up to? My grandfather. He’s done a lot of really cool things in his life. He was able to make a solid foundation for himself in a completely different country at a time when the world wasn’t even as global as it is now. At that time there was no way of knowing how things were like in a different place. He’s really built who I am as a person even though I only see him every once and a while…but we write to one another often! I also hear that I look like him a lot…I guess I sort of look at him as father and grandfather.