Name: Ryan Arnold
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Major: Economics
Year: 2013
It’s quite charming when a boy can cook and can be a girl’s best friend. Mix in a sense of style and an unquestionably genuine smile, and you have Ryan Arnold.
Hailing from Sacramento, CA, our Campus Cutie talked to me about his busy, but fun Yale life. When I asked him what he does, I found myself wondering what he doesn’t do. If you’re in Pierson, he may greet you from behind the Master’s Aide desk, or help you with your cover letter as a UCS peer liaison. When he’s not busy working—at an average 12 hours per week, by the way—he is writing for the Bullblog.
I sat down with this attractive gentleman for a conversation full of laughs. Unfortunately for me, he is not exactly into my type, but I still managed to leave the interview utterly charmed.
HC: Do you have any interesting stories from work?
RA: I’m one of the head Master’s Aides for Pierson, and [last semester] our bosses organized a Christmas Party. They asked me to be in a Christmas video for it, and so I was dancing around Master G’s house in this ridiculous Santa outfit. It’s on YouTube. It was embarrassing, but also one of the funniest things I have ever done! And it made everyone laugh, so it was fun.
HC: Is there anything you’re working on right now?
RA: I didn’t learn Spanish when I was growing up, which I realized is very sad. And then I took Spanish classes here, which is nice. My grandmother is really happy because she speaks Spanish. When I started speaking to her in Spanish, she was really proud. Sometimes I feel like I don’t get as much practice in my classes, so I call my grandmother to speak in Spanish with her.
HC: Wow, you have so many activities! Do you have a favorite?
RA: I write for the Bullblog, and I write a ton. I can talk about anything, so it’s my favorite extracurricular. I had a feature called “Recipes with Ryan,” in which I write recipes that I make in the dining hall. Now that I’m living off campus, maybe I’ll write some that are a little more complex. I’m off the meal plan now.
HC: So if someone wants to take you out on a date, they better have some guest swipes!
RA: I would also hope they would offer to eat somewhere out of the dining hall (laughs)!
HC: Do you have any favorite restaurants?
RA: There are some incredible places to eat [in New Haven]. Miya’s, Caseus, and Barcelona are my top three. And Mamoun’s! Mamoun’s is probably a tie with Barcelona.
HC: What kind of food do you cook?
RA: I’m Mexican and I was brought up with Mexican and American dishes. I found that I like Mexican food, but I’m more health conscious. So I try to make food that is as delicious as possible, but also as healthy as possible. That means salads, fish, and meat. Good quality meat. My main focus is food that’s good for my body.
HC: Do you have any favorite places to shop?
RA: My favorite place in NYC is definitely Topman! In New Haven, I went thrift store shopping a few times, and found some gems, like jackets and vests. American Apparel is easily my most frequented shop. I used to go every week last year to the point where I would walk in and the people would know me, which then made me realize I was going there way too much.
HC: Do you have future plans with fashion?
RA: I think I want to test out working in the fashion industry. Actually, this morning I was interviewing with Neiman Marcus Corporate, which would be in Dallas, Texas. It might not be my first choice of location, but it would be the bomb!
HC: When you see someone, what is the first part you notice about them?
RA: Their face before anything else. Their eyes. It goes: eyes, hair, then fashion/style. I don’t think about body type.
HC: Who is your celebrity crush?
RA: Jake Gyllenhaal. His eyes are beautiful.
HC: What do you value as the most important qualities in a significant other?
RA: Inherently kind, considerate people. And then, sense of humor is definitely important.
HC: What can’t you leave the house without?
RA: A watch. I just realized this year that watches can represent so much style. And also, this semester, I need my keys! So I always leave my house with my watch and keys.
HC: What is your favorite coffee shop?
RA: I literally go to coffee shops for certain reasons. If I know I need to get certain things done with no Internet access, but I still want coffee, I’ll go to Jojo’s. I’ll get coffee and do my reading. Also, there are lots of attractive men who frequent the place. But if I think, “Oh, I look good today,” or really like my outfit, I’ll go to Starbucks because it easily has the most attractive people in it. I know it’s bad; I go to coffee shops based on how many good looking men they have (laughs), but I like it. I’ll go to Blue State if I need to study late at night.
HC: What is your advice to girls?
RA: My top advice is to be natural. Try not to be nervous! I feel like guys here are easily turned off by girls who are nervous. Be confident. If I were interested in girls, I’d be so attracted.