Justus in his best Ron Burgundy attire for Halloween
Name: Justus Tyler Bell
Nicknames: At home I was J Bell, here, I’m just Justus.
Birthday: September 1st, 1994
Class: Freshman, C’17
Greek Organization: Sigma Nu pledge
Hometown: Maryville, Tennessee
Major: I haven’t decided, but it’ll most likely be political science or economics, but German isn’t off the table either.
Relationship status: Jack Daniels is my life partner for the foreseeable future. But crushes happen too.
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a beer pong enthusiast, if that counts? I’m also in SGA.
Best Class You’ve taken at Sewanee: So far I’d say Politics 101 with Professor Hatcher
Signature Pub Order: Granger + chicken tenders + Diet Coke
Signature Dance Move: Stumbling.
Go-to McClurg Line: Home Line for days
Most Attractive Quality in a Guy: Is this supposed to be guy or girl? I’m not too sure about guys, but I would say the most attractive quality in a girl would be how willing she is to go out and have fun, go try something new, go hang out with a random group of people, go dance on a table at a party, or whatever. I guess the right word is the quality of her spontaneity. Physically though, it would have to be blonde hair. Since my first, second grade crush, it’s been blonde hair.
(Her Campus typo, thanks for going with the flow, Justus. Also, I’m thinking a lot of ladies will be going blonde this Spring Break!)
Biggest Pet Peeve: People without any type of manners. Manners still matter.
Spirit Animal: A really happy dog.
Weird Body Fact: I have a tattoo of a pin-up girl on my right arm and a tattoo of The Thinker on my left shoulder.
Describe your sex life in a Movie Title: Up
What is the most embarrassing song on your iTunes? My Heart Will Go On. Don’t judge because we all know it’s a classic.
What is your most embarrassing Sewanee story? I wrote, designed, cut out, glued, and drew a drunkenly risqué valentine on Valentine’s Day for this one girl (evidently, I’m a talented while inebriated). She knew about it the next day. It was just a funny story, but then I drunkenly presented it to her a few nights later. Really? Really? Tighten up, Justus.
Why did you become an SGA senator? What are you most interested in improving on campus?
I was attracted to being put in a position where, if someone needed something fixed or done or resolved, I had some ability to help him or her out. I like helping people. And I’d say my main goal, as far as improvement, is really driving home how important the traditions and stories of Sewanee really are. All those that came before us have really shaped where, what, and who we are in unbelievably important ways, and I think improving the access to and familiarity of that history is a worthwhile effort.
You’re one of the most enthusiastic people that I know about Sewanee (and about life in general)– what things do you love most about Sewanee?
I love that I am great friends with people from places that I had only ever stereotyped before. I live next to a guy from Texas, down the hall from a guy from Arizona, near a girl who was born in France and lived in California. I’m best friends with guys from Atlanta, Boca Raton, Burlington, Memphis, Houston, just all over. I mean, it truly baffles me (in a really great way) every day that all these different characters chose this little school on this big mountaintop for all different reasons, but we all love it for the same reasons. It’s an incredible thought that Sewanee is seriously the perfect place for all these crisscrossing paths.
You have a vintage, pin-up girl tattoo that is pretty cool, does she have a name, and how did she end up on your arm?
Well, she ended up on my arm when my stepbrother and I graduated high school. We were about to split off into two totally separate worlds of college, and we wanted something that would attach us in a way that was really original. So we settled (with some alcoholic influence) on the idea of vintage WWII pinup girl tattoos. Like if that doesn’t have a “Wow, this will be fun to tell my grandkids” story quality, I don’t know what does. She got there because I’m young and life is (or should be) too fun and too short to shrug off something like that, as scary or obtrusive or immature or whatnot. Her name, on the other hand, is something I can’t settle on; I thought Gloria or Betty or Lucy or something vintage and 40’sish, or even Liberty (Bell? Get it?). But I don’t think my future wife is really going to be a huge fan of the tattoo, unfortunately, especially if her name is different than the girl’s, so I’m trying to not get too attached to a name.