“I’ve talked to some people who’ve never seen their RA, and I see Daniel every day at least,” said first year Jake Blumgart, a resident of Binford’s third floor. Daniel Bullard-Bates, the Literary Arts wing RA, is someone who always is around, whether that comes from his own wandering, or his open-door nature. Yet who is this Cat Stevens look-alike? Described by resident and first-year Dan Miller as being “the most awesomest RA ever,” Bullard-Bates is a favorite of the first-years he is responsible for. A religious studies major, he’s in the process of making his mark here at Guilford. He’s in the halls as an RA, on the air at WQFS, and an enthusiastic student.

Born in Canada, Bullard-Bates moved to Washington D.C. at age three. His father was a preacher, leading him to often to say “I’m the son of a preacherman, which makes me the only one who can reach you.”

He attended public school until high school, when he applied and got into Northfield Mt. Hermon School located in Northfield Massachusetts, at the time one of the nation’s largest boarding schools. Commenting on the Mt. Hermon School, Bullard-Bates said of that “boarding school opened my eyes to a lot more people… and religions as well.”

During his senior year, he decided his major for college: a double major in religious studies and philosophy. Bullard-Bates spent his freshman year at McGill University, located in Montreal, and found that McGill was just too big for him: “It was just too impersonal,” he said, so he looked to Guilford for what he was missing at McGill.

He transferred here his sophomore year, and hasn’t regretted it. He was going to continue his double major, but found that not enough of his philosophy credits from McGill had transferred.

Originally going to be a English major, Bullard-Bates decided against it, saying “I feel like I can learn about literature on my own … I wouldn’t as intensely study religion like I study literature.”

Bullard-Bates has a lot in common with his residents such as music, literature, and movies. So far, he’s set up an 80s dance party, and along with religious studies professor Eric Mortensson, led a meditation session. He decided at the end of last year to become an RA and he has not regretted it at all.

“I’m loving it, if only because I think the people in my hall are awesome,” Bullard-Bates said.

He enjoys the time he spends with his residents, commenting that “a lot of upperclassmen don’t know (first years) and I think that’s silly.” His only problem as an RA?

“I just don’t have enough time to get everything done sometimes,” Bullard-Bates said. Yet he has spent ample time getting to know his residents, doing everything from playing Zombies! to going to Waffle House at 3:30 a.m. with some of his residents.

Bullard-Bates also enjoys the time he spends on the radio. He first got into the radio scene in high school, where he joined the school radio station. At McGill, it was just too big for him to have his own show. He has been on WQFS for two years. One of the things he likes about it, besides exposing music people haven’t heard, is getting to “learn a lot of music from the people on the radio.”

A man of many languages, Bullard-Bates knows German, Spanish and French, which according to one of his good friends, is “so hot.” As for his personality, “I think he’s intelligent, creative… and super hot,” she said. “Also, I think he’s pompous … in an amusing way.”

As for his future plans, Bullard-Bates hopes to go to graduate school, since “practically speaking, the corresponding job for a religious studies major is chimney sweeping.” After that, he plans on being a teacher. He also aspires to be the hall director for Binford one day. But in the meantime, be sure to catch him on WQFS every Saturday, 4-6 p.m.