Name: Brian Miller
Year: Junior
Major: Finance, Economics minor, Certificate Program in Leadership and Ethics
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
This week’s celeb is a member of our crew team, an active student of the business school, one of the voices behind The Panther Pitt, and a generally lovely human. As I sit in his living room, ESPN on low volume in the background, Pitt décor abounding, Brian describes his involvement with the best student section around.
Her Campus: I think I’m supposed to ask you what activities you’re involved in on campus.
Brian Miller: I am on the rowing team, I have helped form a new club in Pitt Business – LEAP: League of Emerging Analytic Professionals. It’s a business analytics club. What else am I involved with…
HC: You do football things, right?
BM: Panther Pitt! Oh yes. I’m the Vice President of The Panther Pitt, I do our social media and Twitter stuff.
HC: So if we see a tweet from the Panther Pitt, is that you?
BM: That is me, yes.
HC: How do you decide what to tweet?
BM: We kind of talk amongst myself and the other officers, so it’s a joint effort. But it’s sort of just going off of whatever news is just announced, or a lot of feedback from fans. That’s how we generate our content, and so far it’s been a good season – we’re very happy.
HC: Do you try to be funny?
BM: Um, yeah! We… we’re very subtle. We try to kinda get some digs at Penn State or West Virginia here and there. Subtle ones, not overt. And we’ll do the occasional meme. But nothing too out there.
HC: Are there any perks that come with being involved in The Panther Pitt?
BM: I got the inside track on what’s happening in the athletic department. I know some things, have seen things…
HC: Yeah? Can you tell us about these things?
BM: I cannot tell you about these things. Though what I can tell you, you will be sure to hear about it on The Panther Pitt on Twitter. It’ll be out there.
HC: That sounds thoroughly not-exclusive!
BM: As soon as I can let you know, I’ll let you know. I’ll give you the scoop. Exciting things coming up in Pitt athletics. This season, next season… it’s very exciting. And I get to meet a lot of cool people, like Coach Narduzzi.
HC: Narduzzi is pretty active on Twitter, isn’t he?
BM: He is. Our entire coaching staff is active on Twitter, so make sure you go and follow not just Narduzzi but the entire coaching staff!
HC: What do you bring to the table, then?
BM: There’s a lot of back and forth. It’s really a coordinated effort behind the scenes. It might look seamless, but there’s a lot going on. What’s really nice is getting to work with the fans, and not just students, but also, you know, your alumni and your general non-student-body fans, and getting their feedback, getting to hold meetings and see what people say. All these people you get to meet, all these things you get to do… it’s really eye-opening.
HC: Sounds like a sweet gig.
BM: It’s not bad. It’s not bad. It’s very busy, but I’m not complaining.
HC: How do you think all of this would be different if you went to one of the other schools you applied to?
BM: Oh wow. I mean, undoubtedly, knowing how loyal and insanely feverish I am about sports, whatever school I went to I’m sure I would be a leader in the student section and be about that, but Pitt would still be… you know, I would still follow the score and get pumped up about them, and if the school I went to played Pitt, I would have a serious crisis.
HC: But you’d pick us, right?
BM: Oh absolutely. I would keep that on the down-low. Pitt is and always will be number one. No matter what.
HC: Fun facts about yourself?
BM: I was at the last game at the old Pitt stadium, which is where the Pete is now. I, uh, apparently don’t open my mouth very wide when I speak. I don’t really get that. [Note: We called him “Small Mouth Brian” for most if not all of freshman year.] Maybe it’s the Yinzer accent from being born and raised here, but I don’t think so. Despite playing a lot of sports, I am a geek, nerd, whatever you want to call it. I’ve gone to Comic-Con. Also, I’m very disappointed in the women of Her Campus. The article that was released about movies they haven’t seen… Despicable. I mean really Her Campus, what are you doing with your lives? You’ve got to watch the classics!
HC: What’s the one on that list that you were especially upset about? What should we watch immediately if we haven’t?
BM: Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is priority number one. Without a doubt.
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Photo Credits: All photos come from the Celeb.