Name: David Dipenti
Age: 21
Year: 2014
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale
Relationship Status: single
Hobbies: basketball, film, the Caribbean (politics and traveling)
Favorite Movies: “I’m kind of a nerd, so Star Wars; I like ShawShank Redemption and any Tom Hanks movie.”
Favorite Quote: “Stay positive. That’s something I always try to do.”
Favorite Holiday: “Definitely Thanksgiving. I get to be with my family, and it’s kind of bringing together from all different parts of the country, so it’s pretty cool.”
Favorite Foods: “I’m half Haitian and half Italian, so I had some interesting dinners growing up. Anything from those two cultures is great — pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, Griot, which is like a fried pork thing from Haiti with rice and beans.”
Are you involved with any clubs or organizations? “I’m the president of the Caribbean Student Association and a Florida Cicerone.”
How would you describe yourself using three words? “Tall, awkward, lanky — just kidding. I think passionate, positive, and funny.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? “Somewhere in the sales field. When I graduate, I’m going to work for Google, so hopefully moving within that company.”
If you had one superpower what would it be? “To see the future because seeing things in the past are always in 20-20, like when you look back at things you made mistakes on. But if you could see the future, it would help you out a lot with success.”
What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done? “One time there was someone who was in dire need of help, but I didn’t have a car or anything at the time, so I ran like 3 miles to help them.”
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? “Not to be indecisive. Sticking with one decision and going with it rather than competing against two things because once you focus on one thing, you can be the best at that.”
Where is the one place you’d like to visit anywhere in the world? “Anywhere in Italy — my father’s side of the family is from Sicily, so anywhere there would be nice because that’s one part of my life and culture I haven’t really explored enough.”
What are three must-have’s you look for in a girl? “Positivity, humor — if I could say humor three times, that definitely would be it — Positivity, humor, and compassion.”
What are your turn-offs? “Being way too serious. Someone who is not independent, and someone who is very introverted.”
How would you feel if a girl were to ask you out? “If she was cool, I wouldn’t mind at all. It would be something different. It wouldn’t bother me at all; it kind of shows some kind of strength and confidence if you can actually break social barriers to talk to someone, so I’d be impressed.”
What’s your idea of a perfect date? “I think a lot of people focus on what you’re doing, but I think it’s focusing on who you are with, so the location and what we’re doing doesn’t really matter to me. What matters is how I’m connecting with that person. When, where, and why doesn’t matter — all that matters is who.”
If you could date a celebrity who would it be? “Going purely off just physical — I would say, right now, it would be Zoe Saldana. She’s pretty hot.”
Favorite Sports Teams: “Miami Heat, the Miami Heat, and the Miami Heat. That’s probably the only team I’ve been so passionate about my whole life. I don’t really care for any other teams, but if I had to choose I would be the 49ers in football, and with basketball, my second favorite team would be the New York Knicks.”
Have you ever been told you have a celebrity look-a-like? Will Smith.
Embarrassing moments on Campus: “Being tall and awkward, sometimes I don’t see the cracks on the floor, and I’ve tripped a few times in front of people. The best is when you’re looking someone in the eye and you trip.”
Hidden talent: “I have a really good Michael Jackson impersonation.”
What advice would you give to girls about guys in general? “Something I try to do with myself is remember it’s not all about the outside. Being attracted to someone is a really big thing, but over time that all goes away, so it’s really about who they are as a person and once you realize that feeling — you should put your all into that. It’s about who they are, not what they look like.”
Where would you say guys look for relationships? “That’s hard. I’ve thought about that myself, and it’s like are you really going to find your future at the club? I don’t know, but it may be in your work place, school, professional events… it could even be at the bar or the club. I think girls shouldn’t get caught up of where you’ll find it, but when you find it, you’ll find it. It could honestly be anywhere — the world is random.”
What was your reaction when asked to be Campus Cutie? “I was like ‘wow, this is extremely random’ because I was just sitting at work… but I was flattered at the same time.”