In the third part of this twelve interview series, I caught up with Liam Cawley, a junior Fine Arts student with plenty to say. During the first episode of the show, there was a even Twitter hashtag supporting this cutie – #TeamLiam. After an enjoyable chat, here’s what Liam told me about his experience!Â
Year: 2015
Dorm: Off Campus
Major? BFA in Studio Art with a painting concentration. Major you wish you chose? I’m happy with current choice, maybe Applied Math.
Hometown: South Bend, IN
What are you involved with on cmapus? The Knights of Columbus, Council 1477 and WSND FM, I’m the news director of WSND this year.Â
Relationship status: Single – still eligible
What does it mean to be a domer? You have to be a student at the University of Notre Dame. We’re a varied lot, I’m not a typical “domer.” But if I can be one, anyone can be.
What is your best ND memory so far? It didn’t actually happen at Notre Dame but I went to Spain this last fall break with my art history class. It was an incredible trip and a real privilege representing the University abroad.
What is the #1 item on your ND bucket list? I would like to see the steam tunnels.
What are the best and worst things about ND? The best is probably the community – it’s a very strong community, which isn’t much of a surprise. The worst is the bureaucracy.
If you could change one thing about Notre Dame, what would it be? I would allow students to work more than 24 hours a week over the summer.Â
What’s the best class you’ve taken at ND? Freshman year I took a 20th century art history class; it opened a new horizon of modern art to me. Currently, I’m in a medieval art history class which has opened up far older art than I had previously been exposed to.Â
What’s your favorite spot on campus? The radio station in the tower of O’Shaughnessy Hall. Opening the door there is like opening a door to the 1950s. It’s frozen in time.Â
What did you think you were going to do when you came in as a freshman? I knew that I wanted to study art; I had gone to high school with my [current] painting advisor’s daughter so I had met her before and that was the main reason I chose Notre Dame. I knew I was interested in the radio and being a service to the community, as well, which explains my extra curricular activities. Â
Favorite Domer – dead, alive, or fictional? Mr. Ivan Mestrovic – he’s probably my favorite sculptor and definitely the greatest sculptor of religious subjects from the 20th century.
What do you wish ND girls knew? I’m sure that changes for every girl. What do you wish you knew about ND girls? That’s a very hard question to answer, because you can’t really lump so many individuals under this label. Every Notre Dame girl is a unique individual person… I’d just like to get to know as many individual people as possible – Notre Dame in general should have more of a focus on the arts.
If you could go back to freshman year and tell yourself one thing you know now, what would it be? Time travel is, in fact, possible! But seriously, I would rather not go back in time; I’m quite content with the person I’ve become.
Ideal academic and professional endgame? If I was given enough money to live on and sustain a family and all I was asked to do in return was to paint or create art in certain way, that would be ideal.
In 25 years you will be… 45. (Author’s note: I LOL’ed at this.)Â
Tell me something no one here knows about you. When I was younger, I had two leopard frogs named Sam and Nut. (Nut was named after the Egyptian goddess of the Sky). Sam was suffocated by Nut.
Signature drink? Morir Soñando – 5 parts milk, 1 part orange juice, sugar to taste. It’s delightful.
Why did you initially audition for the Irish Bachelorette? Well, I learned about it early on in the development process at the media retreat so I had been thinking about it. When I saw that they were doing auditions I thought, “I’m single, why not?”
What was your reaction to meeting Kirsten for the first time? Here’s another girl who was in [Photography 1] and in the DPS learning how to print.
Did you know any of the other suitors? I did not. Well, I mean I didn’t but after three hours of shared awkwardness I feel like I know them pretty well.
How did you feel about the dynamic of the group? I thought it was really interesting how all of the different guys took a different approach to the Bachelorette. We were healthily varied and will probably make for some really good television.
Did you feel like you had the opportunity to make an impression on Kirsten? [Um…] Perhaps the slightest of impressions. I don’t think that … getting to talk to them for five or six minutes is a good way to get to know anyone but I’m sure I made some impression.
How did you feel about getting cut from the show? Was it a shock or did you expect it? I won’t say that I expected it but I won’t say that I didn’t expect it. I knew, mathematically speaking, I would get cut. I wasn’t crushed by what happened. It wasn’t really a devastating event in my life.
Who were you rooting for to win once you left the show? Jeffery Gerlomes
If given another shot, what would you do differently? The way that I approached this task of trying to win this girl’s heart is the same way I approach the task of winning any girl’s heart which is getting to know her and becoming friends with her. I didn’t really have time to implement this strategy. If I was playing to win, the best strategy would be to overact to win; but I know, of course, Kirsten, like any woman, is not a prize to be won.
What do you wish you knew going into the show? I wish I knew what happens when we die? I didn’t feel underinformed about the show. I was prepared.
Was it what you expected? Since my expectations were a blank slate, perhaps it was not what I expected but the reality was so much more. I will say it was a lot more awkward than I expected.
What do you anticipate for your love life going forward? I dunno! The future is a mystery.
Was the experience worth it? I think so, yeah. All experiences combine to form who we are and this experience was nothing if not informative.Â
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Thanks, Liam!Â
HCNDxo