Meet John O'Brien — a junior with senior standing and a pre-law focus, double majoring in English and psychology, getting his minor in geology, Illini sports enthusiast, employee at the University Laboratory for Community and Economic Development, recently elected president of Zeta Psi fraternity, member of Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity, intramural overachiever, and loving caretaker of a turtle named Gary as well as a tarantula named Orlando Woolridge. (That's right, the Chicago Bulls center from the 1980s).

O'Brien is known to all as "Jack," and Jack is a busy boy.

"I'm a pretty humble guy ... I hate to toot my own horn, so to speak, but I'm selfless," O'Brien said. "I'm always doing things for other people — that's just how I was kind of raised."

But O'Brien makes sure that his work doesn't slip away from him — he has a copy of his schedule posted on his bedroom door and a three-month advance calendar pinned up next to his desk in the Zeta Psi house in Urbana.

"I'm really fundamental," he said in a soft-spoken voice. "I don't think beyond the scope of possibility."

O'Brien is now taking 19 hours of courses and is anxiously awaiting the LSATs — as well as a reply from the FBI.

"I applied for an FBI internship (for) over the summer so that's kind of big news," O'Brien said. "(Law enforcement) is really kind of interesting and cool."

Now the answer to the question on every girl's mind — yes, he's single.

While he says that he hasn't found any "really interesting" girls here, he says he is still looking for a "really funny, cute girl who's not materialistic and likes to go to the library on weeknights, lay around on weekend days and head to the bars on weekend nights — somebody who I can actually take out on real dates once in a while and have fun with."

Just make sure you can handle taking mini-vacations with his best friend and soon to be third wheel, Jake Brodbeck, junior in ACES. Brodbeck said that in the past the two have gone on paintballing trips, canoeing and are planning a visit to Canada this weekend to stay at the Toronto chapter of Zeta Psi.

"They're supposed to have a party or something ... but I would rather just go around and explore Toronto," Brodbeck said.

O'Brien and Brodbeck also went to the Sugar Bowl their freshman year, the Orange Bowl sophomore year and are planning a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., during winter break.

"I'm really into U of I sports; I always know what's going on," O'Brien said. He said it annoys him to sit in I-Block or Orange Krush because everyone in there "doesn't really know what they're talking about with sports and stuff."

Brodbeck, what do you make of all of this?

"He's very busy and goal-oriented," Brodbeck said. "At times, he loses his patience and gets frustrated ... and I think that's just because he's so busy. He gets stressed out a lot, sometimes he has too much to do."

If anyone thinks O'Brien is on the verge of a complete mental breakdown, you are wrong and you heard it here first.

Two posters and a calendar of Anna Kournikova — whom O'Brien is a huge supporter of — are tacked onto his walls, providing some surefire stress relief. Not to mention that O'Brien and Brodbeck have been regimenting themselves to a strict diet of old school Nintendo and Coca-Cola when free time emerges.

"That's probably our main activity right now, when we're both sitting around and doing nothing," Brodbeck said. "We're pretty into it actually."

O'Brien also enjoys sitting down and relaxing while watching films. His favorite is Meet Joe Black.

"I think in Meet Joe Black, for me, it was a good dualism of mortality and the immortal possibilities of mortal beings," O'Brien said. "It kind of just sums up my whole outlook on life."

Uh-huh. Explanation please.

"I think that a simplistic life is the most beautiful," he said. "If you need a cruise or an expensive pair of shoes to make yourself happy, then you'll never be truly happy. Take time to look at the clouds or the autumn leaves once in a while."

Apparently Brad Pitt is the guy who holds all of the answers to a happy life. God speed Jack O'Brien. God speed.