What It’s Like to Date a Veal Man
by Stephanie Holden (NF)
When I learned that AuntieGoldie had found me the perfect match in Nick Maynard, I was thrilled to meet one of the mysterious few “single men” inhabiting the HBS campus. Nick’s first recommendation for our blind date was an all-day affair-yes, starting at 7:30 am on a Saturday-of volunteering through the Kennedy School. As much as I loved the idea, the thought of awakening at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning was just too much to handle. We therefore decided to postpone our adventure to the following week. After numerous lengthy email exchanges, Nick and I finally agreed on an event.
It had been a long week for both of us-FRC midterm for me, fifteen-page paper for him-and we were both looking forward to a much-needed respite. Luckily, Nick found the time to plan a very entertaining night, and we agreed to an IMAX film at the Science Center. Even after numerous warnings about my driving abilities, Nick still agreed to risk his life and let me drive. While Nick navigated, I attempted to avoid a collision. Curiously, Nick knew exactly how to get to the Science Center. My first thought was it must be his standard date destination, but Nick came up with the plausible explanation that he occasionally ventures to the Science Museum with his Little Brother.
For those of you still trapped in the Greater Harvard Square area, a visit to the Science Center is worth the short trip. We saw a feature on caves and the women who venture into them. Let’s just say that the “H Bomb” doesn’t seem like that big of a deal after seeing what these women can do. I learned a tremendous amount about Greenland, Mexico Caves, and the search for extremophiles. I truly admired the women who risked their lives exploring the caves in search of living organisms that could help fight diseases in the future.
Feeling exhilarated after the movie, we decided to grab dinner in the North End. It was wonderful to be with a true Boston expert. Once again, Nick proved to be an expert navigator and directed us into the heart of the North End. After nearly an hour of driving around in search of a coveted parking space, we nearly ended up eating at Prezzo simply because it offered free parking for customers.
We finally met parking victory and had a lovely dinner at Caf‚ Pomodoro. The waitress clued me in to the little known fact that Nick is a “true veal man.” With an overwhelming menu, we resorted to asking the waitress for her recommendations. As a result, we ended up with the leftover dishes of the evening in a massive failure to manage inventory. The night came to an end after long conversations about the Spangler shortcomings, Tibetan meditations, and Soup Kitchen volunteering.
The most wonderful event of the evening was, after Nick’s positive declarations about the Kennedy School, I decided to apply and, hopefully, be a part of the Harvard community for another year. So all of you single girls out there that have been desperately looking for a “veal guy,” Nick’s your man. After surviving the FRC midterm, it was a pleasure to spend an interesting night with a wonderful guy.
North by North End
by Nick Maynard (OD)
From the geographic information on our HBS Classcards, it looked like AuntieGoldie had put some thought into this match: “Louisiana + Missouri = Norman Rockwell.” This formula called for a “classic” evening: the Mugar Omni Theatre at the Museum of Science followed by dinner in the North End. But would “classic” be enough for a former Merrill Lynch M&A analyst and Priceline manager?
Initially, I was surprised that Stephanie offered to drive on our date. But who can blame her? Just look at the driving performances of the last two Intraview men: Brian “Which way to Salem?” Davis and Teddy “Did I hit the parking attendant?” Cho. No doubt that Stephanie is a modern woman who defies stereotypes, but I have a feeling she actually feared putting a third OD man behind the wheel.
She arrived early at my Cambridge abode, and we departed in her luxurious SUV. Sugar momma! I decided to play it cool. I hopped right in, and showing a sense of tact that I lacked in BGIE last year, I refrained from giving the anti-SUV soliloquy I had learned during my studies at the Kennedy School. Nick 1, Our Environment 0. I offer my apologies to Mother Nature.
Unlike previous Intraviews, we traveled safely to our intended destination, the Imax theater. After hanging out and chatting prior to the film, we watched Caves, the story of two female dare-devil spelunkers-a scientist and a schoolteacher-who search the world for undocumented bacterial life forms. While I remained in awe of the amazing caves these women explored, Stephanie began plotting her future climb to the top of Mount Everest. I noted that the plan did not include me.
We headed off to dinner in the North End, but the Boston parking demons wreaked havoc with us. Luckily, Stephanie got a call on her cell phone from her ex-boyfriend. Turns out the guy is someone I knew at Princeton, and we ended up catching up for 15 minutes while Stephanie drove all over the North End looking for parking.
Once parked and after a quick walking tour of the North End, we settled on Caf‚ Pomodoro. Stephanie requested a romantic table in the corner so that we could have our privacy. Of course, in a restaurant the size of an HBS dorm room, privacy is a relative thing.
I made the mistake of asking our waitress what entr‚e she would recommend for me. She said, “You look like a veal guy.” I was confused and a little hurt. Veal guy, me, really? Luckily, Stephanie was there for me, but so was the veal four minutes later. So that’s why I am a veal guy.
Dinner gave us a chance to really talk. Stephanie is a very interesting woman who has traveled just about everywhere in this wide world. She is a great storyteller and has a cool sense of humor. I highly recommend a date with Stephanie; it was definitely a good time. Unfortunately, we eventually had to draw the evening to a close so they could serve more of that fantastic veal.
