Campus Cutie: James Brown and Rachel Newton

(EDITOR’S NOTE: James was playing with bananas during this interview. He had six of them and refused to disclose the reason for possession.)

Names: James “Jimbo” Brown; Rachel “Rachel” Newton

Ages: James—19, sophomore; Rachel—18, freshman

Hometown: James— Coudersport, Pennsylvania; Rachel—also Coudersport, Pennsylvania

Majors: James—chemistry; Rachel—biology

Relationship Status: James—Eh; Rachel—dating/in a Relationship

Pet Names for Each Other: James—Racheiepoo; Rachel— Jamesy; Her Campus—Hey! I call him that too!

(EDITOR’S NOTE: At this point, I accidentally deleted the recorded initial interview while transcribing. Every question following comes from a second conducted interview. James had no bananas this time but was intensely playing Super Smash Bros. 4).

Her Campus: “Sorry for losing that initial interview, Jim and Rachel! Let’s do this again. How and when did you two meet each other?”

Rachel Newton: “We knew each other forever.”

HC: “When did you meet on a romantic level?”

RN: “January 2014.”

HC: “How’d that happen?”

RN: “We had mutual friends. Our best friends were dating. It was at a basketball game. I showed him a picture of my cat and then he had a crush on me. I had a crush on him before that but he liked a different girl.”

James Brown: “You’d like to think that the picture of the cat made the crush start…”

RN: “That made it start. That’s what you said! What made it start?”

JB: “Nothing…”

RN: “What was it?”

JB: “You’re cute.”

RN: “…Okay.” (both laugh)

HC: “What are your favorite things to do as a couple?”

RN: “Cooking. We watched a lot of the Food Network over the summer. Hiking.”

JB: “Getting huge.”

RN: “Yeah, we went to the gym together. We like food. We like making food, we went exploring a lot this summer, we went to concerts with our friends.”

HC: “Do you find the Hickey to be a romantic place to spend date night?”

RN: (laughs) “No.” (laughs)

HC: “Is it hard to balance being science majors with being in a serious relationship?”

RN: “Yes, sometimes. There’s a lot that your teachers require of you so hanging out usually turns into doing homework.”

HC: “You got anything, Jim?”

JB: “Erm. Eh.”

RN: “You did last time.”

JB: “I have to help her with homework. We get frustrated at each other.”

RN: “We do.”

JB: “And it ends up with me being in trouble.” (Rachel laughs)

HC: “What are the differences between keeping a long-distance relationship afloat and basically living together?”

RN: “Well like I said last time, when it’s a long-distance thing, it’s more trust. You have to trust each other a lot. You have to find ways to not get bored and, you know, keep the relationship…”

JB: (whispers) “Spicy.”

RN: “Spicy, yeah. It’s more exciting when it’s long-distance when you get to see each other.”

JB: “Is this like an erotica-type article?”

HC: “It is now.” (James laughs)

RN: “When you see each other after a while it’s exciting, but when you practically live together you just show up in sweatpants. Long-distance relationships can be more exciting but it also can be more difficult. You have to be committed.”

HC: “What things about your partner could you live without?”

RN: “You want to go first?”

JB: “Oh no, no, you go first.”

James’ friend Rohan, who has been playing video games with him during this interview: “That wouldn’t be wise.”

RN: “He doesn’t pick up after himself.”

JB: “Forget what you said last time?”

RN: “No, I said that you burp and you don’t say excuse me.”

JB: “She drinks milk out of the jug and it’s disgusting.”

RN: “I stopped doing that!”

JB: “Well, you used to.”

RN: “What’d you say last time? You said something different.”

HC: “I think James said that he hates you.”

RN: (laughs) “Yeah.”

JB: “Might’ve been that.”

RN: “That’s true.”

HC: “How do you guys balance your interests? AKA Rachel, do you hate it when James plays Smash Bros. all the time, like right now?”

RN: “I deal with it. I don’t usually care. Sometimes it depends on the time of the month whether it bothers me or not. There are certain times where I will get more angry.” (laughs)

JB: “Okay, when I’m playing Smash, at least she can watch something. But when I have to go shopping with her for four hours it gets a little boring.”

RN: “You could buy clothes too…”

JB: “I don’t want to buy clothes. But when we’re in Macy’s for two hours-“

RN: “We have never gone into Macy’s.”

JB: “Okay. When we exit a department store after two hours and I’m like, ‘Yay, we’re finally free!’ And she’s like ‘Oh, Old Navy is having a sale!’ I die a little on the inside.”

HC: “If we were to see a little baby nerd come from you guys—“

Rohan: What???

HC: Would it be Charlie Brown or Isaac Newton?

JB and RN, simultaneously and instantly: “Isaac Newton.”

JB: “You should’ve remembered this question.”

HC: “I have to re-ask for recordings’ sake. For journalistic integrity.”

HC: “New question—What’s it like being widely regarded as the power couple of the school of sciences?”

RN: “I don’t think that’s a thing.”

JB: “Well, we’ve never been referred to as that, so it feels pretty nice. It feels pretty nice.”

RN: “James is the power.”

JB: “If anybody is bringing power to the sciences it’s me.”

RN: “James is the power in that science power couple. I just like plants.”

HC: “What can we expect from you guys in the future?”

JB: “Not a baby.”

RN: “Yes.”

HC: “That’s a good answer.”

HC: “Thanks for your time, Jim and Raquel.”

JB: “You’re welcome.”

RN: “I feel like ‘not a baby’ is a really good answer for an article.”

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