Two weeks ago, College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Liz Winters went to California to visit the set of Zac Efron's new movie, "Seventeen Again." The trip was the answer to a wish Winters' sister made through the Make-A-Wish Foundation to meet the "High School Musical" star. Winters said she and her sister couldn't have had a better time, and Efron was very attractive—although her boyfriend might not appreciate her saying so.
MU Connection
Winters is a history major, secretary of the Residence Hall Association, a National Residence Hall Honorary participant and a Pi Beta Phi sorority member.
Pet Peeve
"My biggest pet peeve is probably people walking slow on the sidewalk when I'm trying to get to class."
Favorite Food
"Any Korean food."
Dream Vacation
"Anywhere in England."
Biggest Challenge
"Making sure that I am following my dreams: my career dreams and my goals in life. So I'm not just following what everybody else wants for me."
Proudest Moment
Winters said this year she overcame a lot of academic issues she had faced freshman year that resulted from being away from home for the first time. She said "going above my goals for myself and my family's goals for me" made her most proud.
Favorite Spot on Campus
Carpenter Tower, where she lives. "That's where all of my friends live and that's usually where I hang out throughout the week," she said. "It's also where I have most of my meetings."
Why Marquette?
"I really like the honors program they have here. I was also really excited to go here because I am in the 33 percent who isn't Catholic. I went to a public school and I was really excited to be able to take theology courses. Mostly it was just picking the right fit for me academically and socially out of the schools I applied to."
Most needed change on campus
"I'd like to see more options food-wise across campus, whether it'd be in the residence halls or different restaurants close to campus. I think people spend a lot of money to get food far away from campus and, with the amount of money we spend on tuition, we should be able to get good food closer for cheaper."
Why did you get to visit the set of "Seventeen Again"?</b?
Winters' 16-year-old sister, Elena, qualified for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation because of health issues that stem from a brain aneurysm she had when she was 9 years old.
"We found out this summer she was able to get a wish and her one true wish was to meet Zac and sing with him. She's a big fan because of 'High School Musical' and 'Hairspray.' A few weeks ago Make-A-Wish contacted my family and we went on Jan. 31 to see him on the set of 'Seventeen Again.'"
A little about her sister
"We were told by doctors it would be a miracle if she lived, then she did," Winters said. "Then we were told it would be a miracle if she ever woke up again, and she did. Then we were told it would be a miracle if she ever walked again. She really defied all odds. She's not the same as she was before the incident, but she's still very much the same Elena."
What was Zac Efron like?
"I was able to meet him personally. He was very nice and just seemed incredibly genuine. That was really great to see in a celebrity that meets so many people everyday. I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate me saying this, but he was very attractive, and he smelled divine."
Was your sister's wish fulfilled?
"She was on cloud nine. She absolutely adored him. She wore her shirt to school the next week and was telling everyone how much fun she had and how nice he was."
Will you go see "Seventeen Again" when it comes out?
"It seems like it should be a very fun movie. It has a pretty cheesy plot, but those movies can sometimes be really fun."