By Walter Hickey
__Mike Boyer, always enthusiastic, is a definite presence on campus. He’s active in Alpha Phi Omega, is involved in a plethora of the College William and Mary organizations, and knows some awesome places, perhaps of ambiguous legality, to chill out and take it all in.__
*How did you get involved in APO?*
I got involved in APO because a really good friend from high school, Mallory Johnston, pledged APO her freshmen year, and I thought it was this weird cult thing. Then when I transferred here my sophomore year, my suitemate was also big in APO. The following semester, I went on a service trip with someone who was also in APO and would be on the pledge staff the following semester, so I decided that I should see what this APO thing is all about. Fall of my junior year, I pledged it, and I’ve never looked back.
*What kind of things do you do with APO?*
I run the tutoring that APO does at Matthew Whaley Elementary School and make a whole lot of announcements about that. I empty all the recycling bins in Millington [Hall] with my little and one of our friends, and I also have a great time with my friends and family. It’s a lot of fun.
*Can you tell me about your involvement in Young Democrats?*
Well, I’m not as involved anymore. I didn’t like [gubernatorial candidate Creigh] Deeds very much, but I campaigned a lot for President Barack Obama and used to go to a lot of meetings and did all that. I did end up campaigning for Deeds, but he didn’t end up taking my heart as much. I didn’t really feel it.
*What else have you been involved with?*
In my time at William and Mary, I’ve been involved with Students Helping Honduras. I was secretary there for a very long time. I also went on the spring break trip, went to Honduras, and spent the time building houses and things. I especially liked playing with the children at an orphanage we used to be affiliated with. I also used to be involved with the [Student Environmental Action Coallition], but not as much this semester. I keep having stuff Monday nights, and I used to be one of the SEACreteries, taking lots of notes with colors and lights and stuff like that. I used to swing dance a lot, but just with life being as busy as it is; I don’t have time to go to meetings anymore. And I really spend a lot of time hanging out with friends and having a lot of fun.
*Where are you going next year?*
I got accepted to American University Law School where I plan to get my J.D., hopefully in human rights law. It won’t make me much money, but will help make me feel fulfilled or something. It’s probably a bad choice, but it’s where I feel my passion is. May as well follow it.
*What’s your current major?*
I’m a sociology major. I really like the department, I think it’s a great area of study, and I think it’ll save the world someday.
*Do you have a favorite class?*
As a sociology major, I naturally want people to take sociology classes. I guess maybe Principles of Sociology. Probably one of my favorite classes that I took at William and Mary was Social Theory; it was an incredibly interesting class. A lot of people don’t like the theory aspect of sociology, being theoretically how people create meaning in their world and stuff like that, but I just find it fascinating. I soaked up so much of what we were learning in class and the readings. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience for me.
*What is your favorite memory at the College?*
I really have very fond memories of working on this play my sophomore year, Judevine. It was an ensemble cast, two-act show; it was about a town in Vermont called Judevine, with a few hundred people, and just how they interact and the insane lives they lead. It was a very powerful play, and was very emotionally fulfilling as well. Only at William and Mary could we have had a play like that. It was just very incredible. I appreciated the work that was done on that play.
*So, you mentioned that you’re a transfer student. Can you talk about that?*
I have a really sad story about that. I’ve always wanted to go to William and Mary, since like the fifth grade when I was walking by the Governor’s Palace, and my fifth grade teacher told me, “That’s the Wren Building. They still have classes there!” and I was like, “Whoa.” As I grew older, I learned it was a great school and really wanted to go to William and Mary, so I made it my dream school. I asked my counselor and told her that I really wanted to go here, and she said I should apply early decision. So I applied early decision because who gets rejected… from… early decision? So, I got rejected and went to George Mason [University] and had to transfer. It was fine, but wasn’t exactly academically challenging, if you get what I mean. But, now I go here and struggle to get a B.
*Any parting advice for underclassmen?*
If you’re ever in a bad mood and just want to go to your room and have quiet time and put on some sad music and some of your friends come over and say, “Hey! Hey! Let’s go out and do something fun!” — don’t say no. The memories you get from college are going to be made going out with your friends and doing random spontaneous stuff you wouldn’t do otherwise. And even if you’re not in the mood for it, you’ll like it in the end.
__After graduation, Mike will be attending American University’s Washington College of Law in order to earn his J.D. and pursue a career in human rights law.__
