Derek]'s intellectual curiosity is off-the-charts. As a sort of joke, we started the interview by asking him about existentialism. [Derek] didn't take the question as a joke. Instead, he enthusiastically launched into his definition of existentialism and went on to tell us that it's very interesting but completely wrong, and then told us why. Then, later in the interview [Derek] told us that his main hobby is building air cannons that
shoot things ranging from potatoes to cantaloupes. He talked about the cannons with great humor and passion...Usually, when I ask kids to tell us something about themselves, they start in on classes and extra-curriculars. [Derek] immediately started talking about his family and godparents... [Derek] is an incredibly interesting, multi-faceted individual. He is very personable, a great conversationalist, and has a fun sense of humor. The more we spoke with him, the more convinced I am that he belongs at Dartmouth.
