Name: Oliver Darling
Year: 2nd
College: UC
Major: Linguistics
Place you call home: Sonic Boom
Relationship Status: I am single.
Favorite on-campus/ off-campus location: Favorite on-campus is the UC Quad. As for off-campus, I’d say Riverdale Park, since I go there so many time during the summer. I go there to write when my house isn’t any good.
Toronto’s best kept secret: Hmm. Place called the Danforth Dragon. It’s a restaurant at Jones and Danforth. I’ve never seen the place busy, but it serves some of the best hakka food in the city. Not expensive at all either!
Pet peeves: People on the subway who feel the need to share their music with everybody. or they feel the need to plunk their bags right in the middle of the aisle. It’s definitely worse on the subway, since there’s so many people who take it every day. One other pet peeve: bikers who are on the sidewalk when their is a the bike lane right over there! And then you’re just walking down the sidewalk, not knowing that they’re behind you, and they start ringing their bell. Oh gosh.
So you’re in a band… What’s the usual reaction you get when you tell people that, or when they find out? It’s split 50/ 50. Either I get a reaction, like “Ohgosh, that’s so cool!” A really dramatic reaction. Or the other one, where people are just like “Oh, that’s nice”, since there’re so many bands in the city, and being in a band is sort of natural. In Toronto.
What’s the name of your band and its significance? Our band’s name is “The Writers’ Society”. It came out of our drummer at a practice once. You could say there’s some significance to it, since all of the members write a lot. I write lyrics, and some poetry. Our lead guitarist does short stories. Our bassist sometimes draws, he’s into comics. So there’s a certain amount of writing going on. Hence the name.
What’s your role in the band? I am the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist.
Tried and true pick-up line: You don’t have one that works. I’ve wizened up to the fact that pick up lines are a bad way to get girls. I reached that realization when I was about 15.
Every guy needs these three things in his closet. GO: 1] A pair of jeans that fit, not just any pair, but one that fits perfectly. 2] At least one a proper button up shirt. 3] And also, this one is kind of arguable, but a nice tailored jacket, like a blazer. It simply pulls the whole outfit together.
Your perfect girl in 9 words or less: Someone who makes me happy. I’m so not picky.
If you could go out with any female celebrity, who would it be? Part of me wants to say someone say famous, just to say that I had gone out with them. But hmm. Carey Mulligan. She was in one of my favourite films, it’s called “An Education'” She’s very British. I don’t know… She seems very classy. I guess I don’t really have a reason.
Describe your ideal date: I guess just going out to a nice restaurant; and by nice, I don’t mean that the food has to be five star, but a restaurant that has a really nice atmosphere. And then after that, we go see live theatre. That would probably be something… I would prefer to go to that, there is certain appreciation to actually going to see a live performance. I just want to be with someone who is open to that sort of thing, the idea of live performances. Also, I tend to go on a lot of coffee dates, nothing really structured. not even with romantic interest in mind, just in general.
Top three turn-ons? For sure, if a girl is like way smarter than me, I don’t know why, but it totally is. Someone who is really smart, this is some who I can have really good conversations with. Girls who wear really red-in-your-face lipstick. If a girl can speak another language. And a nose-piercing, a ring or a stud.
Turn-offs? Girls who smoke, a lot. A big no no. An occasional cigarette is fine. but a big no no if they’re smoking at least a pack a day. Girls who are unnecessarily catty. One last one, if girls are really intent on leaving hickies. I had a girlfriend who did that, and no! any girl set on that, please stop.
If One Direction asked you to join them, would you? Do I have the hair for that? But, honestly, no. I would not. I already play more music instruments than all of them combined.
How do you feel about being chosen as campus cutie? I am going to go red in the face when I see the actual article.
Famous last words: What does this button do?