This week, The Argus sat down with Cole Torino ’24, a student-athlete powerhouse at the University. From serving as senior class treasurer and planning a starry senior prom to holding down shortstop on Andrus field, Torino brings a zesty dynamism to his roles. We heard his response to the rumors that his baseball playing is a mesmerizing wonder to behold, how building and maintaining personal connections is the heart of college life, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

The Argus: Why do you think you were nominated to be a WesCeleb?

Cole Torino: I was honestly very surprised when Mikail texted me. I didn’t really know much about it. For the past couple of years, I’ve really tried to meet as many people as I could. I didn’t really do that too much in high school. I kind of stuck to my own people and kind of regretted it, so I’ve been trying to do that. I guess this is what comes out of it.

A: Are there any experiences that you felt have significantly taken you out of your comfort zone?

CT: I came from a small high school. [I’m most uncomfortable] in larger classes and having to speak in front of those classes…. I’ve tried to put myself in those situations and kind of learn from them and be less uncomfortable [at the University]. I wasn’t put in those situations where I had to speak in front of big groups of people [in high school].

Just getting to know people, putting myself in situations with people that I don’t know, whether it’s grabbing lunch with someone I just met or just asking someone a question who’s sitting next to me in a class.

A: What’s your Story and Soil order?

CT: I alternate between two. For breakfast, I always get the bacon, egg, and cheese with green aioli instead of red. And then a mocha latte hot with oat milk. Then [for] lunch, I typically rotate. I either do the Democratic Socialist or the SCS [Smoked Chicken Salad] with no jalapeños. I also try to put it on sourdough bread whenever I can because the ciabatta doesn’t do it for me.

A: Some describe the experience of watching you play baseball as “euphoric,” “cloud nine,” and “inspiring.” How do you produce such an intoxicating effect on those whose lives cross with yours?

CT: I try to be myself. Like I said, I was really quiet and reserved in high school and just didn’t want to show everybody all of me, and the full side of me being an idiot a lot of the time and just messing around. But I kind of realized that people like the genuine side. So maybe that’s what it is. Being a yes man. Most of the time. 

A: How are you feeling about your baseball season?

CT: I feel very confident about our baseball season this year. We’re off to a really good start, I think 13–3 today, which is really good, knock on wood. We have a really strong group of seniors that have been contributing for three years or so now. So we have the experience. Everyone’s super comfortable on the field, nothing’s really new for us, which is a massive part [of] playing in these NESCAC games. And then on the flip side, we have a number of freshmen that are gonna contribute. A couple pitchers, a couple of sophomore younger guys that are contributing. I think we got all the pieces this year.

A: We studied abroad in Amsterdam together. [I have] infinite memories of eating stroopwafels and dancing the night away to dark industrial European techno. What might you say to someone going abroad next year?

CT: Definitely do it. My recommendation would be just to be all in. It’s the one time you can go to Europe, or wherever you’re going, for four or five months and just not care really about anything, except whatever you want to do to make yourself happy on that day, or at that moment. Like, school is school. You don’t really have to do it. I don’t know how that sounds here, but it’s your time to go. Going somewhere you’ve never been and having the ability to prioritize your experience is just beautiful. 

A: As senior class treasurer, you play a vital role in these coming few weeks. What can we expect from Senior Week?

CT: I think we have a pretty good plan. I think the highlight for everyone is going to be our senior prom, which we’re doing on Thursday night of senior week in Olin, which I think is going to be a sweet, sweet setting for everybody. All the tables will be cleared in the reading room, and we’ll have it all decorated. Everyone’s gonna be all dressed up, and we’ll get some pretty sweet pictures. We didn’t ever have a senior prom, so this is going to be really special. I will be wearing a tux. Lock it in. I think that’s going to be the highlight.

And then, similar to past years, the other two days we’re going to do the Grinton Wet, which is an obstacle course. Come ready with a team. The cash prize is pretty high. I think it’s like $300 a person or something. Then food trucks, and then the next day we’ll have a mechanical bull, bungee jumps, and stuff in the Fountain backyards just to have food and hang out and have a good time.

A: What kind of legacy do you plan to leave behind?

CT: That was a tough question. This was the question I was thinking about on the walk over. I think I would just like to be the person that people can reach out to whenever they see that I’m doing something that they’re interested in, or they just want to reconnect, or something like that. I feel like if you’re the person who is open to always reconnecting or maintaining relationships with people in your class or people below you or people above you, that’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. And for everybody else. That’s the Wesleyan kind of spirit. I think that would be the legacy.

This article has been edited for length and clarity. 

Mikail Haroon can be reached at mharoon@wesleyan.edu.