Year:
Ben Wheat: 2015
Erica Mazzone: 2015
Hometown:
BW: Pottersville, New Jersey
EM: Winthrop, Massachusetts
Major:
BW: Biochemistry, Chemical Biology
EM: Business, Psychology
Her Campus: What are you involved with on campus?
BW: I’m vice president of Top Score and a member of Brandeis Wind Ensemble. I Play French horn in both. I also do research in a chemistry lab.
EM: I’m Treasurer of the Adagio Dance Company and I’ve been dancing with them since I started at Brandeis. I’m also part of STAR and I’ll be Treasurer of that starting in January as well. I’m also on the Brandeis Dance Marathon Committee and I work at Lemberg Children’s Center.
HC: How did you two meet?
EM: I lived with mutual friends of Ben in Ziv last year. I didn’t know them as well at the time but we were all going abroad and I started hanging out with them. So they brought me to a get together one night and Ben was there. It took a couple more times hanging out as friends before we actually started talking, but I think we definitely noticed each other right away
HC: How long have you been dating?
EM: We’ve been dating a little over a year… since last October.
HC: Tell us about your most memorable date.
BW: Definitely when we went to North Conway, NH for our anniversary. We hiked up a mountain, although it was foggy and we couldn’t see anything from the top, and we enjoyed a fancy dinner at one of Erica’s favorite restaurants in the area.
HC: What’s one thing you both love about each other?
BW: I love that Erica so playful, silly, and true to herself around me.
EM: Yeah I agree with what he said. I love that Ben puts a hundred percent effort into everything he does. He’s such a hard worker, and that includes the time he puts into our relationship too.
HC: What’s your favorite thing to do when you are together?
EM: Well I really enjoy hiking with him, but obviously that’s not something we can do every day. There’s a lot of mundane stuff we do together. I guess my favorites are making dinner together, going out with friends, and watching Netflix.
BW: Snuggles.
HC: Do you have any advice for long distance couples over the break?
BW: Text, call, Skype, keep in touch however you can. Even it you’re just describing some mundane events from your day, a little bit goes a long way. Try to find a balance where you can enjoy time at home with family or friends too.
EM: Oh yeah! We were long distance for a whole semester when I went abroad last spring. We got through it with good communication. We texted everyday (thank you international plan) and tried to Skype about once a week. At the same time I think there was plenty of space for us to grow separately. For me it was a good mix of being on my own, and having support from him. Overall it was really hard at times, but I’m really glad I got the opportunity to travel. My advice is that long distance with the right person is definitely worth it.
Her Campus: As seniors, if you could go back in time what’s one thing you would you would tell your freshman self?
EM: I would tell my freshman self not to take myself so seriously, especially academically. Not that good grades aren’t important, but I stressed myself out too much at times and it didn’t do me any good. Looking back, I would have spent that time hanging out with my friends (and Ben if I had met him then).
BW: Everything is going to turn out just fine.
Her Campus: Finally, what’s one life dream each of you have?
EM: I want to be an expert in both organizational behavior and consumer psychology. I also want to write books like JK Rowling.
BW: I want to live on Long Island and be a winemaker.
Favorites:
Sherman or Usdan:
EM: Usdan before the whole food-cage thing they have now.
BW: I agree, Usdan.
Food:
EM: Pasta (any kind!)
BW: Duck Confit
TV Show:
EM: Criminal Minds
BW: Game of Thrones
Book:
EM: East by Edith Pattou. It’s a young adult book, but it’s good.
BW: Kitchen Confidential