Name: Joseph William Guistino (Joe)
Hometown: Huntington, NY
Age: 20
Astrological Sign: Aries
Major/Minor: Accounting Major, Studio Art Minor
Relationship Status: Single
He’s laidback but hardworking, with an artistic side and passion for politics – this week’s Campus Cutie is bound to be a success! Meet business school undergrad and Sigma Nu brother, Joe Guistino.
HC (Her Campus): What kind of first impression do you like to make and how would you describe yourself?
JG (Joe Guistino): (Laughs) Oh God, let me think about this. Friendly, happy to meet the person, outgoing. I like to keep it simple.
HC: What’s something people wouldn’t know about you unless they got to know you better?
JG: Probably that I’m a studio art minor. The business school kind of overshadows that. I have more interests than just accounting.
HC: Yeah, the business school definitely gets the reputation of being really hard. Is it as scary as people make it sound?
JG: It’s a nightmare. (Laughs) No just kidding. But it’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work that pays off. Hopefully I will get a good job and it will pay off from there. You learn a lot of life lessons and stuff. But the rumors are true.
HC: You learn a lot of life lessons?
JG: Yeah; just how to present things, how to conduct yourself in an interview, networking. You meet a lot of people.
HC: You said you have more interests than just accounting, like studio art. What makes you interested in that?
JG: It’s just kind of like a nice escape from a lot of things, like school. I’ve always had a slight interest in it. I took a lot of studio art classes in high school. I took a break senior year but then I took a few painting classes when I came here.
HC: I know you’re also a Sigma Nu brother. Why did you choose to rush with them?
JG: I chose to rush there because I got along with the other brothers and really liked the people that I met. I knew the other group of kids rushing and I just felt it was the best fit and I would have the most fun.
HC: What would you say is your favorite thing about Sigma Nu?
JG: Definitely my pledge class. Fall break was really great. It’s great to meet up with my brothers during the summer. We all get along really well.
HC: Yeah, Sigma Nu definitely seems to have a lot of great guys! If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?
JG: I would travel. I would just travel as much as I could. Just experience different things and stuff. I’m jealous of all the kids abroad. I also went abroad this summer; but you just can’t do everything, like go everywhere you want to.
HC: Traveling is definitely an experience. Where did you go when you were abroad?
JG: I went to Ireland – Dublin. I had an internship there for seven weeks.
HC: Can you tell me more about your internship?
JG: Yeah, it was a basic accounting internship. It was through the school. It was a great experience. I went with a few of my friends and we had a really good time.
HC: When you weren’t doing work, what did you like to do?
JG: We’d usually get off of work and like to eat. There were like 800 pubs in Ireland (laughs). I’m sure everyone knows that. We also went to London and Amsterdam. We met a bunch of kids from different schools.
HC: Did you get to meet a lot of international students, like students who grew up in Ireland?
JG: Strangely we met more kids from within the program, mostly from different schools. The most international exposure we had was with the people we worked with.
HC: There must have been a bit of cultural difference. What were they like?
JG: Yeah. They warned us about office talk. They have different slang words. Like if you were talking about sports, like rugby. They have a sport called hurling. They also love to talk about bands and music, like Bruce Springsteen. Other than that, they seemed to have a culture in between the American and the British.
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HC: So what else can you tell me about yourself?
JG: If you just knew me, you’d know me as a business major and member of my fraternity. But I’m also really into politics. Like the election. I like to stay informed about politics.
HC: Did you ever think about majoring in Political Science at Wake Forest?
JG: Well interestingly enough I came to school to be a PolySci major. I went on the PolySci track but also took business classes. I took English classes for PolySci but also business classes, like math and economics. I just made the decision to major in business. But I didn’t want to lose my interest in politics. Hopefully someday I’ll get into it again.
HC: I know a lot of people think the business school is the way to success. Do you feel like there was pressure from your parents to trade politics for business?
JG: I think that’s a common misconception. It’s definitely something I wanted to do. It’s not worth sugar coating – hopefully I will get a good job. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy business. It’s complicated I guess.
HC: I completely agree. As students at Wake, I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed.
JG: Yeah. There’s a lot of pressure. People are competitive. The business school takes some time getting used to. But as long as you can do well, you can do well. You just got to take it in stride.
HC: That’s definitely a good way to look at it. So can you tell me more about your passion for politics? Are there any issues you are particularly passionate about?
JG: I don’t know how intense you want to get with it. I guess things about the economy. It also ties into why I’m in the business school. You get a real sense of the business world through politics, and how politics affect the business world. I don’t know if I really have a main issue right now. It’s interesting to follow in a more general sense. I like listening to people with opposing views. I like to see where other people are coming from. I like to just have a good conversation. Like the topic of health care. Or big government versus small government.
HC: So would you ever be a politician, or start a political career?
JG: I feel like it’s such a hard thing to break into. I would pass. I wouldn’t be ready for that.
HC: …I bet you’re ready to talk about romance…
JG: (Laughs) Yeah, I knew this was coming.
HC: So what do you look for in a girl?
JG: I’d say the main thing is confidence. Someone who is confident, someone you can have a conversation with. Like a real conversation. Someone who is honest. I think if you can be honest with someone that means you are actually close. It’s always good to be honest as long as you’re doing it to help the other person, even if it’s bad news.
HC: I agree completely. How would you describe your perfect date?
JG: Let me think. A good first date… (thinks). Well it helps to have common interests I guess. Maybe go to a concert. It doesn’t have to be something unusual. Maybe just taking a walk, or getting something to eat.
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HC: So where do you see yourself after college?
JG: My one definite goal is I want to live in New York City – working. Hopefully I’ll still be in touch with my friends from school. Hopefully I’ll be successful.
HC: New York City?
JG: Definitely. I like city life.
HC: Is Huntington near the city?
JG: It’s on Long Island. But my dad works in the city so I definitely know what it’s like.
HC: Would you say Long Island is a lot like Wake? Or would you say there are a lot of differences?
JG: For one thing there is a lot more southern culture at Wake. Even though there are a lot of people from the north here, I feel the surrounding area is just different.
HC: Like there’s a lot of southern mentality?
JG: Yeah, it’s slower. I like the faster pace. I’d rather live in the city.
HC: Would you say you like the southern culture down here?
JG: Yeah. It took some getting used to but I’m glad I went somewhere new for school.
HC: Do you have any words you like to live by?
JG: (Laughs) I never really thought about that. I guess I just try to be open to new things. Having an open mind, staying positive, and not taking things too seriously.
*Article by Raquel Broehm