Name: Willie Veenstra
Year: Freshman
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Houston, TX
Activities: Longhorn Band
What do you like about being in the Longhorn Band?
I like that I can escape from the rest of the world and, for two hours a day, hang out with the people I call my family and make music.
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Blue Bell Cookies and Cream
What’s your ideal date?
My ideal date would be going to see a baseball game and afterwards, taking a picnic out to Lake Michigan and watching the sunset.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?
Australia, because it’s new, it’s far away, it’s different, and it’s something I’m not used to. And because in my life, I’ve never had to move out of one central place.
Why are you studying chemical engineering?
Because I love chemistry, I love calculus, and it makes money. Simple as that.
What’s your favorite thing about Austin so far?
Basically the atmosphere around campus — the friendly attitude of people around here. They’re willing to stop and talk to you for the sake of talking. They’re not trying to get anything out of you. They all have something in common; they all have the city of Austin.
What’s the best place to eat at on the Drag?
Einstein Bros. Bagels
What should people know about you?
My second toe is bigger than my first toe.
Anything else you want to add?
I really believe in the power of music; I believe in the power it has to bring people together and be a universal language that everyone can understand. It’s something that everyone can relate to, and when words can’t stay what the mind and heart feel, music can.