Having heard music blasting behind a closed door, I thought that there was a party ensuing down the hall. Upon further examination, I found a room of six boys studying with Arcade Fire and Portugal. The Man playing loudly on the newly installed surround sound system within the dorm. To my delight, I was greeted at the door by this week’s Campus Cutie.
When I sat down to talk with Campus Cutie Joseph Benoit, known to his friends as Joe, he immediately made me laugh. “Don’t take a picture from my Facebook. I need a good picture. If you are saying I’m a cutie, I gotta look like one,” said sophomore in School of Management Joseph Benoit, as he searched on his laptop through his Facebook pictures.
20-year-old Campus Cutie, Joe, grew tired of seeing the same people in the same clothes and left always-sunny San Diego for the cooler temperatures of Boston. When asked about his decision to head across the country for college, Joe said that “it was a spontaneous decision that I hadn’t put very much thought into.”
At 8 o’clock at night, Joe was still casually sitting in his sweater with a button-down shirt under it, khaki pants and boat shoes, not typical attire for a boy lounging in his dorm. “Every impression counts. When you are in public it is respectful to the people you see to look presentable. I never go out in sweat pants. I am not pretentious, I just appreciate style,” said Joe when asked about his classy attire.
Don’t let this cutie’s well put-together appearance throw you off, his sarcastic attitude and outgoing personality shine while hanging out with his friends and playing Super Smash Brothers, about which he says, “Jiggly Puff is my man.” To speak to Joe’s lighthearted and joking personality, he mentions without being asked, “If I were an animal I would be a koala, because they do whatever they want.” Clearly this cutie has some jokes too, as you can see in his quirky photo below.
Academics are a huge part of Joe’s life. While he is currently unsure of what he plans to pursue as a career, Joe is a current sophomore in BU’s School of Management studying finance and is considering the option of attending law school at some point in the future. While spending his days in class or studying, he is also a TA for a business ethics class and gives tours in SMG.
Outside of classes, Joe is a member of the sailing team here at BU. He grew up sailing in San Diego, but had experience only with smaller boats that did not peak much interest in sailing for him as a child. When he arrived at BU, Joe joined the crew team instead, only for one semester, because of the demanding schedule. “I am competitive and I knew I wanted to do a sport, so I got to know the sailors and joined the team during the Spring of my freshman year,” said Joe. Transitioning from rowing to sailing was a smart decision, because this sailor enjoys traveling to different states for regattas and meeting new people on different teams.
This cutie also loves to have a good time, whether he’s with his sailor friends or the brothers in his fraternity, Sigma Chi. When asked why he chose to join a fraternity during the second semester of his freshman year, Joe explained that “BU felt really big at first. I wanted to have a smaller social community outside of athletics.” Joe let’s his joking personality show when he reveals to me that his favorite- and very sarcastic- phrase to shout is “Let’s Rage!”
Not only is Joe a socialite and an athlete, this Cutie can serenade ladies on his guitar with “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. Give him a piano or drums and he can even play a tune! This Cutie is a multi-talented catch.
After serenading his potential love interest, Joe would take her out for a sail around the Boston Harbor to engage in casual conversation and, of course, share a few laughs. His ideal date would be someone who could bring out the best in him, while also sharing his sense of humor and sarcastic attitude.
This Campus Cutie craves spontaneity, but he also has a soft side, though he would never admit it. If you spot him around campus, don’t be shy, say hi, maybe he will sail you off into the horizons!