Telephone Q&A of the Week

Two years ago, Frederick K.K. Du Puy 03 gained notoriety by traversing the Yard with legs clad only in khaki shorts even in the coldest, darkest depths of winter. FM recently spoke to Rick about his status as a campus pseudo-celebrity, the rationale behind all-season short-wearing and his advice for the new generation of eccentric dressers.

FM: Why did you decide to wear shorts in the winter? Were you looking for notoriety?

Rick Du Puy: People find this hard to believe, but it was actually comfort. Your knees can become topically cold, but its not as if your knees are as important as your shoulders or your neck. If your shoulders or your neck are warm, you are warm. If your knees are cold, you can live with that. You can put up with that for short periods of time, and it college in the winter youre mostly just walking between buildings anyway. When Im indoors, I always find pants are too warm.

FM: Was there some self-expression through fashion involved?

RDP: I wouldnt call it a fashion statement, but there was an element of stubbornness to it.

FM: Has anyone approached you about it? Or is it mostly your friends who tell you to wear pants?

RDP: I occasionally meet people nowadays who say, I remember you, youre the boy who wears shorts. My roommate (Scott A. Rechler 03) says its how he explains who his roommate isDo you know Rick Du Puy? No. Do you know the guy who wears shorts all the time?

FM: Have the pressures of public life ever driven you to the brink of sanity, like Mariah Carey?

RDP: I have retreated to the seclusion of DeWolfe, where Im a little less in the public eye.

FM: Whats your opinion of the new eccentric dressersthe tie-dye man and the cape man?

RDP: I saw the guy in tie-dye. [Pause]. I dont want to hurt his feelings or anything.

FM: Any advice for the new generation?

RDP: They should really talk to B.J. [Averell 02-03, Harvard drama/comedy star, noted wacky dresser and self-promoter], not me, because hes capitalized on his notoriety in a much more active way. I would tell them to never feel alone, that there are people who understand what theyre going through. By understand I mean sympathize. I would never wear purple tie-dye.