A.J. Schmidt ’11

Name: A.J. Schmidt
Year:  Fourth-year, Class of 2011
Status: Single
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Major: Cinema with a minor in History.
Motto: Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood. – Daniel Burnham
Campus Activities: I work at the Center for Disabilities and Development at the UIHC, donate lung cells to cancer research every 8 weeks. Not to worry though, those cells come right back.
Fun Fact: I was born in Anchorage, Alaska. I only lived there for 6 months however and I would really like to go back someday. I’m sure if you can survive an Iowa winter you can deal with an Alaskan one.  
Favorite music: I like anything from the 60s and 90s, along with most of the 70s. Anyone who knows me is astutely aware of the fact that I have a Foo Fighters and Radiohead obsession. I try to keep a fairly healthy balance between the two. My friends, most of who are musicians, will tell you I am musically challenged in performance and listening taste.
Favorite Hawkeye sports to watch: It’s got to be Hawkeye football. There’s nothing else. This year was bittersweet, especially for us seniors, but I had a great time tailgating and going to all the home games regardless. I’ll certainly miss it.
Favorite thing about Iowa: Growing up in Nebraska for the greater part of my life, I found that Iowans are a lot more genuine than most Midwesterners. Whether it’s your friend, neighbor, coworker or even the occasional stranger, an Iowan will always help you out from the most serious of favors to the smallest.
Favorite hangout spot: During the day, I try to get to IC Fitness because it’s a nice break from classes and working at the hospital. I’m sure I’d be saying it’s the new Recreation Center, like everyone else, but it’s so packed whereas IC Fitness is a nice calm environment to workout. For nightlife, I tend to frequent Brother’s recently after 21 ordinance was upheld and Blue Moose, which is a really nice addition to downtown.
It really confuses me when girls at Iowa… feel the need to be on their phone 24/7. If you find a girl that can carry on an entire conversation without picking up the phone, you’re well on your way to finding out she’s a pretty decent catch. The ones who realize your company is enough to keep them entertained seem to be the most intelligent and considerate.  
My idea of a perfect first date: Iowa City has a lot to offer for dates, but I prefer to make a trip out to Coral Ridge or Sycamore Mall to catch a movie and somewhere nearby for dinner; Formosa is definitely one of my favorite dinner spots to go with a date. A perfect date is pretty hard to accomplish, but this is top notch in my book when it comes to satisfactory dates.