Street: Tell us about Battle of the Dance.
MD: Battle of the Dance is just the best event that happens on campus, and that’s not because I organized it this year, or anything.
Street: What don't we know about City Step?
MD: Probably that we take what we do very seriously. We like to have a lot of fun, but really the first priority in City Step is the kids.
Street: So you like kids?
MD: I fucking love kids. They’re so unfiltered and authentic and don’t give a shit about all the things we shouldn’t give a shit about. They’re also really cute, so that doesn’t hurt.
Street: Do you want kids?
MD: Everyone already calls me a dad. I treat all my friends like my kids, essentially.
Street: We know you’re premed. Do you want to go into pediatrics?
MD: Yes, I want to do pediatric oncology. I think I would best serve kids by understanding all the science and shit behind cancer, and at the same time being able to connect with them and help them through something as terrible as that experience.
Street: What’s the most important thing you want to teach kids?
MD: Kids gotta learn confidence and how much they have to contribute. Everyone has something special that they can do, and they just have to be able to believe in themselves to let it shine through.
Street: Tell us about being a MERTer. We hear you’re the cute one.
MD: It’s happened a few times where people have been like, “Oh my god, you’re the hot MERT guy!” And I’m just like, “Hmm, you’re just saying that because you’re feeling some kinda way right now.”
Street: As an almost doctor, what’s your favorite bodily fluid?
MD: The one I’ve come in contact most with is definitely vomit, so that’s up there. In different forms.
Street: Forms?
MD: There’s the vomit that’s just like, this person drank so much that he’s just vomiting up alcohol that he just drank an hour ago.
Street: Is that your favorite kind of vomit?
MD: Yeah that’s my favorite one. The least favorite is like, chunky, just coming back from Banana Leaf vomit, and there are whole noodles in there still.
Street: What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?
MD: Kind of ironically, the first time that I was on Penn’s campus was when I was driven from my home to HUP because I was getting my stomach pumped. In eighth grade.
Street: We’ve heard you’ve gone streaking.
MD: I have skinny dipped in all of the bodies of water on campus.
Street: What prompted you to do that?
MD: Just me and a friend. We were like, “Last day of summer! Let’s fucking do it!”
Street: Which bodies of water?
MD: We did the one outside of the Hill Pavillon. The vet building. The one behind Joe's Cafe. And the one right near the compass. And Bio Pond was interesting. It was kind of gross.
Street: Aren’t there seriously cameras on the Ben Franklin bench?
MD: Yeah, so my butt was probably on camera.
Street: What’s your nickname?
MD: Duda mostly. Dr. Duda, people say that. And Dad.
Street: What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?
MD: Caramel Macchiato. Iced. The events coordinators [for City Step] have to come up with a nickname that has to do with their race. I’m pretty white, but I can get pretty tan, and [my co-coordinator] is Northern African and he looks really white but he’s African/Middle Eastern/who really knows. We’re a lot more racially ambiguous, so we’re caramel macchiato.
Street: Fill in the blank: There are two kinds of people at Penn…
MD: Those who love Kesha, and those who lie about not loving Kesha but actually love Kesha.
Street: So you’re excited for Fling?
MD: Fuck yeah. Kesha’s my girl.
Street: What’s your anthem?
MD: It was “Blow” in high school. Now it’s something more like “Clique.” Where you’re with your clique and “Clique” comes on and you’re balling out.
Street: Describe yourself in 3 words.
MD: Obnoxious. Loyal. Open–minded.
Street: What’s your favorite word?
MD: Water is my favorite word. (Ed. note: He pronounces it “wooter.”) Probably because I say water and no one knows what I’m talking about.
Street: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received
MD: My uncle always says, “Follow your bliss, whatever it is, and it will take you where you’re supposed to be.”
Street: If you are what you eat, what would you be?
MD: A 16 oz. Wawa hazelnut coffee with one pack of sugar and a dab of french vanilla non–dairy creamer.
Street: What will you be doing on this day in 10 years?
MD: I’ll probably be sleeping on the floor of a hospital, doing residency and it being really hard, but be really happy about it.
Street: What’s your spirit animal?
MD: A dog, of course. A golden retriever puppy.
Street: Fill in the blank: My PennCard looks like…
MD: Fresh as fuck.
Street: Give us two truths and a lie.
MD: I’ve bungee jumped. I’ve been arrested for public nudity. I’ve been kicked out of a concert at the Susquehanna Bank Center for being too drunk.
Street: The last one.
MD: No that was true. The middle one wasn’t true.
Street: Reverse KFM.
MD: Jhené Aiko, marry obviously. She lives in LA and I’m already planning my courtship of her. Ariana Grande, she’s a hate fuck. I like her music, but I don’t like to like her music. She just seems like a really shitty person. I’d kill Iggy Azalea. She sucks. She’s a cultural appropriator, man.
Street: First AIM screenname?
MD: AmericanIdiot946.
Street: What was one thing we forgot to ask you?
MD: My favorite physical body feature.
Street: What is your favorite physical body feature?
MD: My butt. It’s a deceptively good butt. It’s like a tiny butt, but it’s a toned, lifted tiny butt.
