For this article we took inspiration from an October 1996 features interview (below). The interview was part of a series by the Features team, each issue they would take a well-known campus celebrity to the bar, buy them a drink and then ask them a load of random questions.

This piece was originally meant for the 400th issue as an archive piece but had to be pushed back due to the elections running alongside publication.

This issue we took 2023-25 Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer Nathan Wyatt out for a pint, and asked him similar, but slightly updated questions!

Q: Do you have any recurring dreams?

A: I used to have one when I was younger, that I got on the train near my house, and me and my mum got attacked by wolves. But I haven’t had any recently.

Q: What was the last book you read?

A: ‘My name is why’ by Lemn Sissay. It’s all about a man born in the 1960’s to a Kenyan mother. He ended up in the foster system after being taken away from his mother and given to a white foster family. He’s ended up being the official poet of the 2012 Olympics, and Chancellor of Manchester University. It was really interesting to me, as he was born around the same time as my dad, who was also adopted. It was interesting to see how different the two experiences were based on the situations of the adoptions.

Q: What makes you cry?

A: I don’t cry to often; I’ve probably only cried two times in the last year. Once when my nan died near the elections. Once really recently when I got really drunk at the SU bar, I was upset about how hard parts of my twenties are and my disability.

Q: What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?

A: OMG. I have told some whoppers, but nothing I can reveal now otherwise I’ll be in real trouble. I’ve lied on resumes; about jobs I haven’t done… get back to me on that one.

Q: What’s your favourite flavour of ice cream?

A: Umm, I would say cookie dough but I’m allergic to it now. When I go to the cinema and get my Baskin Robbins (my one year £10 treat!), I’ll get strawberry and chocolate. I always enjoy the chocolate and regret the strawberry.

Q: Pamela Anderson or Kate Moss?

A: Ooh… umm, Pamela Anderson!

Q: When was the last time you had a fight?

A: Like a physical fight? Never really… I’ve been hit though. I live quite a calm life and don’t get too angry, despite what it might look like on the surface.

Q: How much can you drink?

A: Not much! Maybe I can have a bit more than I like to admit, I can’t drink beer, so I mainly have spirits. Shall we say five drinks? That’s probably maximum or should be anyway.

Q: What can you cook?

A: Honestly, I can be a good cook if I want to! But because of my illness my cooking is mortifying, sometimes I cook gammon steaks for my house or roast dinner. Last night, this is mortifying… I had microwaved rice, with lime juice, cut up pineapple, cheese and mayonnaise. It sounds and looks disgusting, but it tasted acceptable.

Q: What’s your top Spotify song of 2023?

A: *pulls out phone* ooh its ‘Little Baby Crush’ by Jordan Ward..

Q: What’s your party trick?

A: Oh god… I can projectile burp. I basically can yell when I burp, I’ll do it when someone’s really annoying me. It can silence a room!

Q: Can you dance?

A: NO. Categorically not, I’ll have a good time but can’t f***ing dance.

Q: Do you ever make a fool of yourself of the LCR dancefloor then?

A: YES. I tried really hard with my degree, but I didn’t go to lots of stuff, now that I am an officer I’ve been to my first sports night for example. Absolutely terrible, I like making a prat of myself.

Q: Did you ever get in trouble at school?

A: Yes, a lot, I was on behaviour notice quite a bit. The worst trouble I’ve ever got into though was during my GCSEs. They stopped giving out free water during a heatwave and started selling them for a pound at the canteen. I went apes**t, and put it all over Facebook, I guess it was sort of first kind of student activism. I had to have a meeting with the headteacher and got a proper telling off.

Q: Why did you get a Ziggs tattoo?

A: I love it! I lived there and had a really good time. Also, UEA has changed so much of my life, and while I don’t believe in ‘gut feeling’, when I came for the open day I knew it was the place for me. Since then I’ve done well in my degree, and now I’m working for students. Plus it’s such an interesting building! F*** yeh, why wouldn’t I want to rep that?!

Right, now it’s time for your trivia!

Q: What’s the chemical symbol for magnesium?

A: Mg?

Q: Yes!

Q: Which year did the first iPhone come out?

A: Ooh… 2000 and… 2007?

Q: Yes!

Q: What is the loudest animal on earth?

A: Beluga?

Q: Wrong, Sperm whale!

Well done! Two out of 3 correct!

Image: Concrete/Eleanor Radford