Name: Daniel SechtinHometown: Florence, S.C. Year: SophomoreMajor: Political ScienceMinors: Journalism and PhilosophyRelationship Status: In a relationshipFavorite Candy: Almond Hershey Bars
Happy Valentine’s Day! This year’s Valentine’s Cutie is romantic, adventurous and a total kid at heart. Meet this year’s prince charming, Daniel Sechtin!
HC (Her Campus): Do you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day?DS (Daniel Sechtin): If I gave away all my plans then my girlfriend might see this and find out. But I’ll probably take her to Jeffrey Adams, which is her favorite restaurant. She’s really weird – she gets a steak with all the sides except without the steak. She just eats the sides and she gets made fun of by the waiter every time. Cheap date, I guess (laughs).
HC: So what’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done?DS: So I haven’t had a Valentine’s Day with my current girlfriend yet. But when I was in high school I had a girlfriend tell me that I couldn’t get her a present for Valentine’s Day, so I said I was going to take her somewhere. We went to this place 45 minutes in the middle of nowhere where there was this dock in the middle of the water. I had a box in the back of my car that was wrapped like a present. She got really mad, but then I made her open it and it was picnic supplies and sparkling juice.
HC: That’s pretty romantic.DS: I tried.
HC: So when was the first time you noticed your girlfriend?DS: I first saw Kyli at Pros vs. Joes. She was doing the long jump and she only jumped like half a foot, but I was like – this girl’s pretty cute. When I introduced myself to her she dropped her phone and the screen broke, so that was our first conversation. After that we were lab partners in biology. I asked her out like five times and she kept saying she had something to do – I don’t know if she really did or not – but eventually she said yes.
HC: Do you think she knew you liked her?DS: She says that she thought that we were just really good friends. But from the second I met her I wanted to date her, so I never really saw it like that.
HC: So what’s your favorite date you’ve had together?DS: One time we went onto the golf course late at night and ate cheese and crackers.
HC: What’s your favorite thing about your girlfriend?DS: I like watching her talk to other people, like even just people at the Pit. She just makes everyone smile. She makes everyone happy.
HC: So how would you describe yourself?DS: I would say open-minded and optimistic.
HC: And what are you involved with on campus?DS: I was a Sigma Nu (laughs). I played intramural tennis with Peter Jensen. Some people may have seen us in our short Agassi jean shorts, white polos and pink hats. We lost in the second round but we made a big impact. I’m also starting a Wake TV show called “Deacon Around with Dan and Buck.” We’re going to interview all the iconic Wake Forest people, like Dean Shore.
HC: So what would you say your spirit animal is?DS: That’s a good question. I’ll think of a good answer… I guess I would be a monkey. I’ve always thought monkeys were cool. When I was younger I would climb around on trees and stuff, and my family always called me a monkey.
HC: What’s your dream vacation?DS: Any beach. I like to surf, so a beach with good waves.
HC: When did you start surfing?DS: When I was maybe 8 or 9.
HC: Do you ride the really big waves?DS: I try to. When I was 13 I went to Costa Rica and I thought I was going to drown. It was not a good experience. But yeah, I do my best. The waves in Myrtle Beach where I surf are like waist-high.
HC: What about your dream job?DS: I want to be a broadcast journalist. I want to be Brian Williams – he’s an evening anchor for NBC.
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HC: Do you have a role model?DS: Either Brian Williams or my grandpa – he’s awesome. Everyone likes him, and he always has something funny or nice to say.
HC: (Laughs) So he’s like your girlfriend?DS: Yeah, I know; they’re similar. They both make everyone happy so I’d like to be like that.
HC: What are your favorite things to do in your free time?DS: I’m a big Netflix guy. I like to surf, as I said. I live like an hour away from the beach so I always go to the beach whenever I have free time in the summer. And I like to play tennis.
HC: And what are your favorite TV shows?DS: I like Family Guy, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and House of Cards.
HC: Who’s your favorite character in Game of Thrones?DS: I like the khaleesi. She’s a powerhouse and she’s an angel, too. I wish she was actually blonde in real life because I think she looks better with blonde hair.
HC: What’s the craziest adventure you’ve ever had?DS: I’ve got a lot of those. The most recent one was for an anthropology project. I spent the night shift at Waffle House and for the first two hours I just sat there and stared at everyone and everyone stared at me. After that I ended up getting really close to the people there – hanging out and making conversation. But when I first came in they weren’t happy. I think they thought I worked for Waffle House and was spying on them. But they were all really cool.
HC: Is there anything you just can’t stand? For example, I hate polka dots.DS: My legs are short and sometimes my pants are longer than they should be. If I walk through the grass when it’s been raining and then I take my shoes off, the bottom of my pants are wet and my heels get cold. That really grinds my gears. I also hate when people use the wrong “there,” “their” and “they’re.” I don’t know why and I never correct people – like over text. I’m not a grammar police but it just bothers me for some reason.
HC: So do you have a favorite memory since coming to Wake?DS: The second week of school freshman year it flooded. Two other kids and I ran outside and found these hills and started sliding down them. We were sliding through the mud – it was pretty cool.
HC: That sounds like a lot of fun! So say it’s your birthday. What’s the theme of the party?DS: I really like candy – that’s why when you asked what my favorite candy was I kind of stopped because I’m like a connoisseur of candy. So the best party I think I ever had was a candy-themed party.
HC: Oh cool – how old were you turning?DS: Thirteen? I know, I was a little too old for that but it was awesome. And also the place Medieval Times – you go and the knights fight each other. It’s for little kids but I went there for my 16th birthday with all my friends. So that was pretty fun. Medieval Times – you should look it up and go there. It’s a great experience for all ages (laughs).
HC: I’ll be sure to do that. So if you could learn something new, what would it be?DS: Spanish (laughs), so I wouldn’t have to keep dropping the class. But I’m going abroad in Spain and then taking Spanish 212 when I get back.
HC: That’s really cool. It seems like you’re not afraid to try new things.DS: I always put myself in positions where I can. Like, I went to Europe on a trip with 20 kids I didn’t know when I was a sophomore in high school. It was pretty cool.
HC: And lastly, is there anything no one knows about you that you’re willing to share?DS: I always wear weird socks that don’t match what I’m wearing at all. See these red ones? When I was at prom in high school I got in trouble with a date because I had on a black suit and bright red socks. I always have weird socks on.