Name: Peter Beebe
Major: International Studies
Hometown: Johnston, Iowa
HCAU: What kinds of things are you involved with on campus?
Peter Beebe: Currently I’m involved in AU Ambassadors as well as SigEp! I joined Ambassadors last fall and have absolutely loved it, so much so I decided to join the Leaderboard. I just joined SigEp this fall and have had a great few weeks so far.
HCAU: Where is your favorite spot on campus?
PB: 100% The Bridge! I love the atmosphere and the coffee, of course. I spend pretty much all of my free time there and absolutely love it.
HCAU: In D.C.?
PB: Adams Morgan is by far my favorite neighborhood in D.C. I absolutely love Tryst and Songbyrd Café. Also, Jumbo Slice is always a good idea and there’s nothing better than Insomnia Cookies.
HCAU: Where in D.C. do you want to explore next?
PB: I definitely want to check out the National Arboretum next. It looks like an absolute blast. Also, I wanna spend more time in NoMa and explore that neighborhood more.
HCAU: If you could travel anywhere right now for free, where would you go?
PB: New Zealand. Once I read that there were 7 times as many sheep as people in New Zealand and I’ve literally wanted to go ever since that moment. Also, one of my favorite artists, Lorde, is from New Zealand. She once wrote in a Billboard article that she just spent the day on her ranch and with her sheep. She was spending her days baking her way through a cookbook, and that is truly something I want to do.
HCAU: What has been your all time favorite on campus experience?
PB: By far one of the best memories is when Malala [Yousafzai] came to speak last year. It was only a month into my time here at AU so it was absolutely crazy that I got to hear her speak. Also, I got to ask her a question and she even said my name when she was answering, so I basically peaked in that moment. It’s all pretty much been downhill since then.
HCAU: What is your all time favorite natural setting?
PB: This summer I took a trip to Oregon and had an absolute blast. One of my favorite parts was this hike I did with my mom when we climbed Beacon Rock. It’s this huge rock that looks out over the Columbia River. After climbing hundreds of feet pretty much straight up, we got this absolutely gorgeous view of the Columbia River and all the trees and forests that stretched as far as we could see.
HCAU: If you could get brunch with anyone dead or alive, who would you choose and why?
PB: Hands down, Leslie Knope. Don’t worry, I know she’s technically a fictional character played by Amy Poehler, but either way it would be an absolute blast. I think she is one of the few people who comes even close to loving brunch almost as much as I do. She and Tina Fey have done a lot of great work elevating women in TV, especially comedies, and I think having a conversation with her over a huge plate of waffles would be life changing.
HCAU: What is your horoscope? How literal do you take your weekly scope?
PB: Gemini! I honestly live by my horoscope. Lately I’ve been really bad about reading my horoscope and I think that has been impacting me a lot. Hopefully, that changes going forward because I truly need some good horoscopes if I’m gonna make it through sophomore year.
HCAU: If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
PB: I definitely wish our society viewed the environment in a much different way. This is such a big issue because right now we see the environment and the world as something that we get to own and use however we want. But honestly and truthfully, we need to start to realize that the world needs to make a more collective effort in protecting and preserving our planet. We need to stop living like there’s no tomorrow and start living to guarantee a tomorrow.
(All photos belong to Peter Beebe)