Name: Mary O’Brien
Year: Junior
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Relationship Status: Taken
Major: Criminology
Involvement on Campus: Relay for Life, Light the Night, Honors Legal Scholars, Women in Pre-Law Society, Golden Key, Order of Omega, and Alpha Gamma Delta.
Her Campus (HC): Congratulations on becoming Sigma Pi’s newest Sweetheart! How did it feel to win the competition?
Mary O’Brien (MO): Thank you! I was incredibly excited and humbled to get the phone call announcing that I had won. The night they were deciding, my little in my sorority, Hayley, was texting me about a mile a minute to try to keep me calm. She thought I was insane for a solid two hours, but I am so glad she was there to keep me some sort of normal. After it was announced, I was so taken aback by all the people who messaged me on Facebook, texted me, or stopped me on campus to congratulate me. It was a really surreal experience!
Actually, if we are being honest, I knew about 30-45 seconds before the phone call. My boyfriend… and his little (Sorry Victor, the truth is out) texted and congratulated me. Which allowed me to scream and jump around with my roommates for a half a minute before I composed myself for the phone call.
HC: What was the whole process like for you? Stressful? Exciting?
MO: I have never been involved in anything like this before, so I was a little overwhelmed when it was first beginning. However, I dived in headfirst and gave it my all. I was also assigned a Sweetheart Ambassador who texted me regularly regarding upcoming events, but also to check on how I was doing throughout the week. My sisters were so supportive throughout the whole competition. Whether it was liking my profile picture, showing up for car chalking or even supporting Sigma Pi at their IM basketball game, I had the most support.
HC: How do you feel that this experience will help you build relationships on campus?
MO: I already feel so much closer to all of the brothers in Sigma Pi, and I am now friends with a few of the girls who ran for Sweetheart as well. I am hoping that winning the Sweetheart Competition will continue the strong relations between Alpha Gam and Sigma Pi. I hope that I will continue to grow closer to the brotherhood, allowing me personally to keep strong relations with them as well.
If anyone would like to get to know the Sigma Pi brothers or hangout with them, I highly recommend checking out their philanthropy coming up on Feb. 22 at 9am! They have paired with the Florida Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the blind and visually impaired at Florida State University to present Beep Kickball. Basically, the players are blindfolded and the ball makes beeps, forcing you to rely solely on your sense of hearing to play. It sounds like a lot of fun!
HC: Your Sweetheart pictures are adorable and look so professional! How did you go about getting those taken?
MO: Thank you so much. I am absolutely in love with them! Before the competition officially started, I happened to run into my old friend Megan Mellinger. It turned out she is now on exec of a photography club at Florida State called Phocus Photo FSU. She offered to take my pictures with other members. We ended up deciding on the location of Maclay Gardens State Park. It is one of my favorite places in Tallahassee, and it is also incredibly beautiful.
HC: Now for some fun questions! What show on Netflix are you binging on right now?
MO: Well, I spent the entire winter break finishing up Sons of Anarchy, so as soon as my emotional well-being had recovered enough to start something new, I noticed that Netflix had added all the new seasons of Law and Order SVU. Naturally, I jumped in. I am almost halfway through it right now, but it is temporarily on hold due to the fact that Better Call Saul premiered on Sunday.
HC: How would you describe your style for a day spent on campus?
MO: It honestly depends on the day! I have been up here for three years and I still don’t know how to handle Tallahassee’s frigid, tundra-like weather. If it’s a nice day, though, I love wearing a nice blouse with jeans or even a sundress. I like being comfortable, yet cute. If it is below 40 degrees and I have to be on campus, I layer. Everything. Leggings underneath jeans with boots and 3 pairs of socks.
HC: Where is your favorite place to eat in Tallahassee?
MO: My favorite place to eat anywhere is Chick-fil-A, but I do have some local Tallahassee favorites as well. I absolutely love Monk’s. It’s a classic staple in my life.
HC: What is your favorite thing about FSU?
MO: My favorite thing about FSU is how tightknit the school is. We are our own very large family and we look out for each other. I don’t know how many other universities can say that. Especially in wake of the tragedy last semester, I have never seen a more united school.
HC: Tell the readers one fun fact about yourself.
MO: Before I left for college, I used to be a competitive Irish dancer! I really do miss it and wish I had the time to get back into it, but now anyone who finds out about it asks me to do a jig for them and I laugh.
HC: If you could have coffee with absolutely anyone, who would it be and why?
MO: That’s a tough one! Honestly, it would probably be Taylor Swift. I’m so basic, I know, but I am absolutely obsessed with her. We share a common bond of curly hair struggles (I see through her new flat iron obsession) and loving cats. I would love to just have an afternoon to pick her brain and see what it is like to be her. Then afterwards, I would have to meet her cats, obviously.