Sipping on an iced coffee, wearing strappy heels, finding excuses to walk everywhere, skin being warmed by the sunshine…ahh, these are the things I love most about this warm weather. What I don’t like? The fact that there are only three weeks left and I can’t decide whether to feel relief due to the eminent summer or stress over the many projects left to be done.
Whether the end of the year has you anxious for summer, procrastinating to the last second, or reluctant to say goodbye, don’t let the work you have left burn you out. Instead, let the sun do that, as you lay a blanket out and enjoy learning more about yet another campus cutie found on UNI’s lovely campus.
Andrew Klenk is a Senior, studying Earth Science with an emphasis in naturalism. He is originally from Mediapolis, a pokey little town in southeast Iowa where his graduating class barely topped 80 people. Back home, Andrew lives with his mom, dad, and his younger twin sisters.
For the past four years, however, our cutie has called the beautiful city of Cedar Falls his home—and lucky for us, he’ll be here one more year. Upon his four-year stay with us, our cutie has been privileged enough to cycle through a generation he knew well, to a new set of faces he has never seen before. In fact, our cutie conceded to enjoying walking around discovering the number of people he has never met.
I don’t know about you, but this is both one of the scariest things and the most thrilling things about college. No matter how strong of a group you build up for yourself, no matter how many persons you meet—there are still so many more to come into contact with. There is nothing so pleasing as running into a familiar face on your walk to the Union, but there’s also something refreshing about finding new faces to smile at.
It is almost funny the reactions one gets when he or she chooses to look at the passing people in the eye. I occasionally get the smile back, but what’s more entertaining is when you get the guy who decides the concrete is much more interesting, or the occasional worry that crosses a persons face as they try to recall if they know you or not. Either way—for both introvert and extrovert alike: Next time you are out and about, I challenge you to make like our campus cutie, and look less at the cracks in the pavement and more at those passing by. If it does nothing but make you chuckle at people’s startled reactions, at least you’ve still had some laughter for your day.
Apart from walking around on campus and taking courses focusing on rocks, soil, and weather—this cutie fills his time with volunteering, mentoring, intramurals (both reffing and playing), earth science club, coaching baseball in the summer, working at Beaver Hills golf club, and, lastly, doing typical guy things: Video games, golf, and drinking beer. With a list as long as his, it comes as no surprise that our cutie chose to describe himself as being “well-rounded”.
Yes ladies, this cutie may take his work with sedimentary seriously, but he also knows how to have a good time. On any given weekend you can find him at one of his favorite Cedar Falls hot spots: Pump Haus, Voodoo Lounge, or Suds. A top being the life of the party, our cutie also has quite a knack for singing—and an entertaining taste in music to boot. Start singing any seventies tune in the presence of this cutie and he is likely to not only know the tune, but belt it out as well. Recently however, Andrew has found the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and Enrique Iglesias’ “Escape” at the top of his playlist. With taste like this, one can be ensured to have a good time when with this cutie.
However, life is not just fun and games for Andrew either. As a baseball coach for the past three summers, our cutie has discovered his passion for changing the lives of young kids. In his ten-year plan, Andrew hopes to put this passion to good use. Ideally, our cutie plans to be teaching and coaching somewhere in small-town Iowa with a wife and a couple of kids.
Out of this comes the question I’m sure all you lovely ladies have been wondering, “how can I snag a guy like this?” At first glance, Klenk admits to being instantly attracted to a woman with a certain “special quality” about her. Whether that be a quirky smile or a glimmer in her eye, this cutie finds it undeniably appealing. But in the end, Andrew contends that personality trumps even the most striking qualities in a woman. In a wife he hopes to find a caring, understanding, fun woman who isn’t afraid to be a little sexy.
So, take some time during these next three weeks to forget about the books yet to read and the papers left to write. Instead, get some sun, relax, and find your certain “special quality” that would be sure to attract any campus cutie. You have one. I just know it.