And now for an interview with the only Bachelor I knew before the show! After an awkward one-on-one date, Brian Davis, an artistic and creative sophomore from the Midwest, was sent home. As always, it was a pleasure getting to know this Cutie a little better, and quizzing him on his hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
Year: 2016
Dorm: Siegfried
Major? Business major with Pre-Med intent; Major you wish you chose? Napping, with a minor in guitar playing. Concentration in the color blue
Hometown: Medina, Ohio
What are you involved with on campus? I work for The Dome Yearbook – get on board. I’m a photographer [for the yearbook]. I co-own Pizzeria Siegfried, which takes up most of my time. I do section sports. I take a yoga class on Monday nights. I’m Siegfried’s brother-sister dorm commissioner.
Relationship status: Definitely single. Still very single. Love life is like a barren desert.
Who are you? Oh gosh… I don’t know. I am just a child! That describes me perfectly. I’m twenty years old but I act like I’m ten. I’m always going around my dorm asking people to come play with me but they can’t because they have work.
What does it mean to be a domer? Going to Notre Dame is the simple thing. Probably being a domer means getting the acceptance letter in the mail and telling all your friends you got in.
What is your best ND memory so far? There are a lot of really good ones. The most memorable would probably be… the story of how I met my best friend, Shannon. I had just come to visit some friends for a little bit after eating and working out in old clothes, so I was gross and sweaty but my friends wanted to go out. So I borrowed some kid’s pants (my friend happened to like the kid). We’re at the party and she [Shannon] comes over and is like “Take off your pants, I never want to see that kid again.” She shoved me in a closet so I can change and that’s how we became best friends. Frosh-O is probably a good second.
What is the #1 item on your ND bucket list? I think it would be really cool to chip away paint from the Dome and frame it…
What are the best and worst things about ND? The best things are the people, Burrito Night in NDH, and the teachers. I have not had a professor I didn’t like. The worst is having to take an Intro to Theology class and having that class destroy my GPA. [This was hard for the author to hear.] And the ND bubble. And the fact that no good bands (or at least bands I like) come here.
If you could change one thing about Notre Dame, what would it be? So, I’ll be out on North Quad and when it’s getting late and the sun is going down, and I just really want to take a picture of the sunset. But there’s a Dome in the way. So if we could get that taken down or move it somewhere… Or if we could get a statue of me somewhere around the lakes. Like me with my hand out high fiving runners.
What’s the best class you’ve taken at ND? Calc 3 was probably one of the best classes I’ve taken because it helped me get over my fear of chalk. And my teacher was the coolest guy ever. It got me prepared for what was to come in Orgo and all the other classes I’ve had to take.
What’s your favorite spot on campus? I love sitting out in the sun on the hill by the Log Chapel.
What did you think you were going to do when you came in as a freshman? I did want to get into something with photography from the beginning. My dad worked for the yearbook here, too. I didn’t really sign up for anything freshman year. I still have no clue what I want to do with my life.
Favorite Domer – dead, alive, or fictional? Fr. Sorin – the original Domer
What do you wish ND girls knew? It would help me out a lot if they all knew I’m the most clueless person ever because they could be coming on to me really strong but I won’t get it unless they tell me, “hey, I like you.” It all goes way over my head.
What do you wish you knew about ND girls? I kind of wish I had a super power where I knew some deep, dark secret about all of them and I could just scare them with that knowledge.
If you could go back to freshman year and tell yourself one thing you know now, what would it be? Message to past self: There’s going to be a redhead girl in your Physics lab and she’s going to be your best friend by the end of the year. She’s going to sign you up for the ND Bachelorette and it’s going to be social suicide.
Ideal academic and professional endgame? Total world domination. I’m gonna start there and move on to the universe. Realistically, an orthodontist or maybe a business person, making orphan drugs – drugs for rare diseases.
In 25 years you will be… Dead or 45… probably the first one. I’m very danger-prone. But if I don’t electrocute myself, hopefully happy and living life to the fullest still.
Tell me something no one here knows about you. I basically tell everyone everything… I guess not many people know I do yoga. I don’t know… what do I do with my life?
Guilty pleasure song/band? My favorite song is by Sleeping with Sirens, it’s called “If I Was James Dean, and You Were Audrey Hepburn.” It’s the best love song that’s ever been written ever.
Why did you initially audition for the Irish Bachelorette? My best friend signed me up [see above]… I told the story on the show. But she signed me up, told my friend to hack into my computer and accept the email and later that night he told me about it. I was pretty skeptical [of whether or not they were telling the truth] so I said, if they actually had done it, I would actually do the show. That sealed my fate. I also didn’t think people would watch the show. Now, my entire family watches the show…
What was your reaction to meeting Kirsten for the first time? I thought she was really pretty and I feel like they picked the exact right place to put her in under the Dome with the lights… It was really nerve-wrecking.
Did you know any of the other guys? I had met Brian Bertsche like two weeks before we started filming so I knew who he was. But they were all great guys.
How did you feel about the dynamic of the group? We all loved each other so much. It was hilarious.
What were your feelings on the one-on-one time you spent with Kirsten? I was the first one chosen [for a one-on-one date]. I don’t know… I personally wasn’t feeling her that much. She’s a really great person but it just wouldn’t have worked out.
How did you feel about getting cut from the show? What do you think led to your being cut? Me telling her that I wasn’t taking it seriously… probably led to me getting cut. Then, I pronounced her name wrong which was the nail in the coffin.
Who were you rooting for to win once you left the show? Wes lives in Siegfried so I was a little biased but Kirsten had a really tough job they were all great guys.
If given another shot, what would you do differently? I would have not said out loud I would do it [when my friend’s turned in the application for me]… but that being said, I’m really glad I did it. It helped me get out of my shell (I’m really an introvert).
What do you wish you knew going into the show? We literally knew nothing so that was the best part… Everything that happened was completely unscripted. You just can’t get awkward television if you know stuff. It would not be nearly as entertaining.
Was it what you expected? I literally had no idea what to expect. But they definitely did way more than I was expecting. It looked classy. It looked pretty legit. For NDtv, it was very impressive. All in all, it turned out to be a really great show.
What do you anticipate for your love life going forward? I have no clue. Hopefully I find someone somewhere eventually. My goal is to find someone who’s ok with me being me.
Was the experience worth it? Oh yeah, definitely. I’m a lot less introverted now.
Thanks, Brian!
HCNDxo