Daniel Maguire is the male version of Oprah — a man whose patient and nurturing personality encourages fellow students to confide in and rely on him. Dan’s love for the College is immediately evident.
p. He begins our interview by bringing me a hot chai tea from the Daily Grind and ends the night with a serenade of his favorite Gentlemen of the College rendition of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.” It doesn’t get much better than that.
p. **What is one thing about you that few others, if any, know?**
o, I’m not very good at keeping my mouth shut, so I can’t really think of anything … I was a huge band geek in high school. I played the euphonium, which is like a small tuba and sounds similar to a trombone. It’s pretty embarrassing. I rented it through the school because my parents said they wouldn’t buy me one unless I majored in it at college. Unfortunately, one thing William and Mary does not offer is a euphonium major.
p. **So now that a career in playing the euphonium is out, what are some of your career goals?**
p. I’d like to be a stripper … just kidding. Generally, my dream job would be to do something where I was making progress and change in something I find meaningful. I think that’s something that all WM students look to do: to find a job that’s meaningful not just to them, but those people around them.
p. **If I were to look under your bed, what would I find?**
p. A lot of junk that I should probably donate. Two specific things would be my baseball bag, which goes all the way back from my little league days, and my stickball gear which I still play. My uncle gave me the stickball bat when I was in kindergarten. He died soon after. When I was young and got angry, I would smash the bat so hard on the ground that it would break so I’d have to put it back together with colorful electrical tape. It has a lot of sentimental value to me but it looks ridiculous.
p. **Are you close with your family?**
p. Yes, I am. I grew up in Herndon, Va. in a middle class suburban home with a bird [that] I got for my ninth birthday. We named him Tiel because he is a cockatiel. We are original. In the summer of 2006, I went to Ireland for two weeks to visit the homestead of my grandmother and grandfather. It was by far the coolest trip I’ve ever taken and I got to meet a lot of my Irish family. My dad’s parents are actually from Ireland and immigrated here. My father is from Atlantic City, N.J. and has some crazy stories of his own. My mother is from Dorchester, Mass., which is where I get my Red Sox blood. They are lovely, wonderful people who are so supportive.
p. **What about when it comes to girls? And who was your first crush?**
p. Sam Fien-Helfman — from the moment I laid eyes on her. I’m telling you what to write so you have to write it. Are you writing that? I also think I invented the term,“the far away crush” (or FAC for short) my sophomore year. I have had many FACs throughout my tenure here at the College. My current ones will remain nameless. I usually don’t look for one specific thing when it comes to girls. In fact, if you look at the girls that I have FAC’d on or talked about they don’t really have that much in common. It’s just a general feeling and vibe I have about them … not a specific personality or characteristic.
p. **How would you woo one of these “far away crushes”? **
p. I would take her on a date near the water somewhere: a lake, river or the ocean. There would be dinner in the evening overlooking the body of the water and maybe some kayaking or boating of some sort before that. After dinner, we would walk along the beach or around the lake or near the river, just enjoying the weather and surroundings. I would serenade her if she really wanted me to, but I would be scared that it would turn her away.
p. **If you had to pick three things that define your college experience, what would they be?**
p. For freshman year it would be Monroe First East, which was my freshman hall. We never did official things together but we were really close knit. I would also have to say my involvement with the Gentlemen, specifically our spring 2006 tour and the Queen’s visit. Lastly, I would choose my intern class in the admissions office this summer. In hindsight, I think a very special commitment for me has been serving as a tour guide. It hasn’t been a real significant part of my time commitment here, but being able to share and watch prospective students enjoy the love and beauty of this campus has been a great experience.
p. **How did you become interested in the admissions internship position?**
p. I wanted to do it because I felt it was a good opportunity for me to not only express my love for the College in a working manner, but also to help, in a little way, to mold the future of the school I love so much. It ended up being one of the best overall experiences of my life, mostly because of the people with whom I worked. All of the interns came from such different backgrounds and we got so close and had so much fun together this past summer. It might just be the most fun group of people I could ever hope to be with. Except Jonathan Welle. Write that. [laughs]
p. **What was one of your highlights from this past summer in the ’Burg?**
p. First would be doing the triathlon with three friends who shall remain anonymous. We finished it up by running through the sprinklers at the Alumni House in just underwear and then we streaked down Scotland Street, in front of the Leafe to King and Queens. The second would be swimming in the Crim Dell and streaking the Sunken Garden with my orientation staff (BHOT!). We even did our dorm cheer at the Crim Dell and everything … it was hysterical.
p. **What about a highlight from this year?**
p. I am currently coaching a first and second grade soccer team with Bryan Terrill and Leigh Tally. They are called the Hurricanes. Our current record is 4-0 and our goal differential is 24-3. It’s the dream season. I’m retiring after it’s over — on top.