As stated elsewhere on this site, the Irish Bachelorette on NDtv rocked Notre Dame’s campus in the Fall of 2013. Following the breakout show, several thoughts about how to recreate its success were brainstormed among the NDtv crew. Finally, the follow-up show, the Irish Bachelor, was settled on as the next step for Notre Dame’s student television network this spring.
In this series of articles, I will be profiling the contestants as they exit the show after each “clover ceremony” as I did previously with the contestants of the Irish Bachelorette. For information on the Bachelor himself, Dawson Robinson, check out Alexandra Lowery’s interview with him!
Today’s lucky Bachelorette is Erin McAuliffe!
The Basics
Year: 2017
Dorm: PE
Major: Marketing and journalism
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Campus Activities: The Observer scene editor, board of WVFI, radio show “We’re Erin (Airin’), Grab the Mike (Mic)” (Sundays at 1pm), secretary of PE hall gov
Relationship status: single
Life at ND
What does it mean to be a Domer?
Notre Dame is a school with great academics and well-rounded people. There’s a huge emphasis on community as well, and we still have great #sportz.
What is your best ND memory so far?
I was Queen E for Miss PE in the Miss ND pageant. It was great – we had a social media campaign so the event was very hyped. I rapped “Bust a Move” and cut into different hiphop dance moves. All of my friends made signs and recruited support – needless to say I was crowd favorite.
What is the #1 item on your ND bucket list?
Run the Holy Half…run any race
What are the best and worst things about ND?
The best is how all the people are genuinely nice people. The worst is that you can’t be outdoors doing anything ever…
If you could change one thing about Notre Dame, what would it be?
Put it in mountains/surround it with mountains.
Best class you’ve taken at ND?
Basics of Film, it was a lot of Wes Anderson films, which I was really into.
Favorite spot on campus
It’s not necessarily my favorite spot but I study on the 12th floor of the library a lot. On that floor, I always try to snag the window spot.
Favorite Domer – dead, alive, or fictional?
Regis Philbin
If you could go back to freshman year and tell yourself one thing you know now, what would it be?
Don’t be an engineer. (Erin came in as engineering major.)
Notre Dating and Gender Relations
What do you wish ND guys knew? What do you wish you knew about ND guys?
I wish guys would vary their outfits from man tanks and Sperrys and groutfits…
What are your feelings on “Notre Dating”?
I’ve never Notre Dated so I wouldn’t know what to say. The extremes (hooking up or Ring by Spring) are really scary. I don’t plan my life out by seeing marriage in my future, I don’t think like that – I look at what job I want to have and what city I want to live in and if there’s a man who works his way into that, good for him.
Have those feelings changed now that you’ve been on the Irish Bachelor?
Hopefully that’s most awkward dating experience I’ll have. It’s kind of the worst. The process was so awkward.
What are your thoughts on Notre Dame’s gender relations?
It should be more on the radar. Today I was walking to DeBart and I heard some guy being a bro literally saying, “I was blacked out with my balls out. My girl just comes around at 3am and complains that I treat her badly but when you come around at 3am how do you expect to be treated?” Even though we don’t have frats, we are not immune to the frat/conquering mindset (as is evident in that guy’s thoughts on how he should be treating a girl).
Fun Facts
Ideal academic and professional end goals?
Get a job, hopefully in entertainment/news, journalism, or lifestyle writing. Refinery 29 is pretty much the goal.
In 25 years you will be…
Living in Wyoming with a family, writing for a tiny newspaper.
Tell me a little known fact about yourself.
I am a champion pig wrestler.
Congratulations on your IRISH BACHELOR appearance!
Why did you initially audition for the Irish Bachelor? (The real reason…)
I thought it was Survivor.
What was your reaction to meeting Dawson for the first time?
During the only and first conversation I had with him, I was appalled by his music taste.
Did you know any of the other suitors?
Ali Lowery (Keri O’Mara was supposed to be on the show with me, we auditioned together, but she couldn’t attend the initial meet and greet.)
How did you feel about the dynamic of the group?
So, they all had a group message on Facebook, but they added the wrong Erin initially. After the first meeting, they asked me why I left the group message – which I was confused about because I was never in a group message. But once they added the right Erin, it was fine. We are all best buds. There were already alliances forming the first day.
What were your feelings about the time you spent with Dawson?
Less than momentous, it was about five seconds and that was enough.
How did you feel about getting cut from the show? Was it a shock or did you expect it? What do you think led to it?
I forgot I was there for Dawson so that probably led to it. I was too focused on the every-man-for-himself-Survivor mindset, when it was really every woman for one man. Whoops. Was I surprised? No. I was hyping myself and Kanye. If it was Survivor, I feel like I would have gotten the immunity idol and would have been saved, but it wasn’t Survivor…
Who were you rooting for to win once you left the show?
Ali (Lowery)
If given another shot, what would you do differently?
Bring my own snacks, preferably chicken nuggets. People started recognizing me afterwards for my two loves – Kanye and chicken nuggets – which made me feel actualized.
What do you wish you knew going into the show?
That it wasn’t Survivor….
Was it what you expected?
No, I expected Survivor….
What do you anticipate for your love life going forward?
Not much… I expect Kanye will come knocking to adopt me as his protégé. But, I have been getting recognized more and more. I recently sprained my wrist in a biking incident, but the way it happened was funny. I was biking past the entrance of DeBart when it was really crowded and was headed straight for this girl, so I jumped off my bike as I was running into her (sorry I hit you!) I just kept apologizing and she said, “It’s ok! You’re that girl from the Irish Bachelor who liked chicken nuggets.”
Was the experience worth it?
Yeah. I was kind of in it to boost my personal brand with social media and what not but I wasn’t really allowed to do that before the show started, which was disappointing. My mom was really excited. She loves The Bachelor.
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Images courtesy of interviewee