An interview with senior class president Billy Moore on Nov. 15, 2002,on the eve of the Penn-Harvard football game.
Street: You're vocally anti-Princeton. Could you expand on the 'suckage' of Princeton?
Billy Moore: It's a great university in its own right. But I don't think it compares spirit-wise [to Penn]. They might have some traditions that we don't have, but... what we lack in country clubs and sweater vests, I think we make up in spirit and in character.
Street: Why did you come to Penn?
Moore: A lot of things. I ran track here... Oh, and I thought that the education I could get was second to none.
(At this point Jason Levy interrupts the interview)
Hey, here's Jason Levy, ex-Freshman and Sophomore class president for class of 2004. You're gonna see this guy tearing down the goalpost [at the Penn-Harvard game] tomorrow!
Levy: The goalposts are going down.
Moore: See, that's the excitement I'm talking about.
Street: It's electrifying. Are there any fringe benefits of being senior class president in terms of getting ladies?
Moore: Well, one of the hardest things for me to learn about being senior class president is a lot of people associate you with the title and not your personality. It's really hard to deal with my quote-unquote celebrity status, you know? Sometimes you feel like you just want to blend in, but it's not really an option. But it's a role that I'll always love and I'll be humbled to the day that I die that I was able to hold.
Street: It is said that there is a social Billy Moore and a political Billy Moore. Is that true?
Moore: Sure... But if you've changed because of your job then you're not really being true to yourself, you know? The advice that my parents gave me and I've taken to heart most is that you have to remember who you are and where you came from, you know? If you can't do that then what's the point? You can become a poser. One of my biggest pet peeves is being superficial.
Street: So what do you want people to know about the real Billy Moore then?
Moore: I think the one characteristic that really defines quote, Billy Moore, end quote is loyalty. And I think I represent a dying breed, you know? Loyalty to school. Loyalty to friends. You know that quote, "Character is being able to stand up when no one is watching?" Or something like that. I dunno. I read it on someone's AOL profile. And I'm all about hard work. You get what you put out. You know that quote from Mark Twain, "The harder I work, the more luck I find I have?" I think that's so true, especially on this campus.
Street: That's not a Thomas Jefferson quote?
Moore: No. No, I don't think so.
(Editor's note: the subject was referring to the quote, "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." — Thomas Jefferson)
... Like I was saying though, Billy Moore is diligent, hardworking, extremely loyal, compassionate, understanding and a good listener.
Street: With all of those positive characteristics, I guess the question on everyone's mind is, do you have a romantic side?
Moore: Definitely. But I don't know if it's the dating pool... or I guess maybe the Penn dating scene, but my romantic experience at Penn has been more or less casual, not serious.
Street: So all those anxious Penn girls out there still have a chance with the one and only Billy Moore?
Moore: Of course, everyone does. I'm a non-discriminatory, equal-opportunity lover.
Street: With no serious romantic escapades, what has been your most rewarding experience at Penn?
Moore: Seeing the excitement on everyone's face on Hey Day. People look forward to that day from the first day of their freshman year. But, the best is yet to come, though. And the saddest is yet to come, you know? For graduation, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like. I'm sure everyone is feeling nervous, maybe some fits of depression, and a lot of anxiety.
Street: Enough depression talk, when was the last time you laughed uncontrollably?
Moore: Probably at 5:00 a.m. this morning when I was online with one of my buddies, just recounting the night.
Street: What did you do that was so funny?
Moore: Honestly, just stupid bullshit. The little things we do and comments we make, just randomly, are the funniest experiences. Like when we were talking about the shit we did at spring break last year. Spring break is the place to hook up. We did an equal amount of fighting and being tough guys as we did hooking up, you know?
Street: Where did you go for spring break?
Moore: Cancun. I was an obnoxious, belligerent ass.
Street: You said you went with your buddies. Are you in a fraternity?
Moore: No, actually I'm neuter.
Street: An independent?
Moore: I'm an indy neuter.
Street: Does that say anything about you?
Moore: It just means that I'm not exclusive in who I choose to hang out with... Doing this interview is sort of nerve-wracking, you know? I want to make sure that I come off as the real Billy Moore.
Street: Don't worry, no one important reads 34th Street anyway.
Moore: I read it.
Street: To sum up, who is the real Billy Moore?
Moore: Well, when people come up to me and do the bow down or the "Hail to the Chief" or "Hail el Presidente," I say to them, "Stop that shit!" because I'm a normal person and I'm just like you, nothing special. I'm one of us. I'm one of everyone else.
