Campus Cutie: Ben Codrington

Photo credit to Jacob Rumsey.

Name: Ben Codrington

Program: Computer Science

Year: Second

Hometown: Toronto

Elisa: What is your life motto?

Ben: “A master has failed more times than a beginner has tried.”

Elisa: Hm. So, if you could master any one skill (but fail at it a billion times beforehand), what would it be?

Ben: The skill of self control, because then I would get to eat a billion donuts.

Elisa: That’s too many donuts.

Ben: That’s not a question.

Elisa: Okay. So, what are your favourite pastimes?

Ben: My favourite pastimes are… uh, making games, and everything that it entails. Including drawing the game art, coding it, and playtesting over and over. I also love playing and running D&D games.

Elisa: Cool. Are there any games you’ve made recently that you’re kinda proud of?

Ben: Why, Elisa, I recently finished up a game called Scribblehead, which my team and I presented at the Creative Computing Show last week. It’s a 2D puzzle platformer game where the protagonist is illustrated and is also an artist himself. It’s just a big sketchy mess.

Elisa: What is your favourite Rick and Morty episode and WHY?

Ben: That’s not fair.

Elisa: JUST ANSWER THE *BUUUURP* QUESTION, MORTY.

Ben: I would have to choose the one with the alien memory parasites, primarily because of Reverse Giraffe, but also because Mr. Poopy Butthole stole my heart.

Elisa: That’s a good choice. On a different note, but not completely unrelated, what’s your most unusual personality trait?

Ben: *Strokes beard* Ya know, Elisa, I have a deep and powerful weakness for pants with more than four pockets. Four pockets on ‘em. Yep. Lotsa pockets. That’ll do it.

Elisa: …That’s it? Wanting more pockets on your clothing is your most unusual trait?

Ben: Not just clothes, Elisa. I’m talking backpacks. I’m talking… water bottles. I’m talking laptop bags.

Elisa: O-okay..

Ben: Elisa, if it can have pockets, then I want it.

Elisa: Who’s your favourite comedian? Since you seem to be so comedically-inclined.

Ben: John Mulaney. He’s the best. And he’s clean enough that I can watch him with my parents.

Elisa: I can’t watch Louis C.K. with my parents.

Ben: I think my parents watch Louis C.K. but keep it a secret from me. I think that they think that if I know that they watch Louis, then I’ll be negatively influenced. But in actual fact, I’d probably respect them more.

Elisa: Oh. I completely missed an essential question. What’s your favourite late-night guilty pleasure food?

Ben: I got like, a 10-way tie for first. Nutella on anything, peanut butter on bananas, TOASTER STRUDELS (I was told to write this in all caps), pop tarts if the store doesn’t have toaster strudels, pepperettes, those laughing cow lil cheese triangles, and elephant ears.

Elisa: What are elephant ears exactly…?

Ben: They’re like low-budget Beaver Tails made by buttering a tortilla, sprinkling some sugar and cinnamon on top, and microwaving it. So basically, the ingredients list is the same as the Powerpuff Girls.

Elisa: That sounds delicious. And, as my final question, which will determine whether or not you’re worthy of receiving the title of Campus Cutie… pineapple on pizza? Yes or no?

Ben: …

Elisa: …

Ben: As surely as the sun rises, pineapple belongs on pizza. Like feathers belong on birds, pineapple belongs on pizza. And like Nutella belongs on anything, so too, does pineapple belong on pizza. But like, I would never fight anyone over it. Whatever.

Elisa: You are worthy of the title.