Cameron’s Column

Toby Rosenband ‘26 is the subject of The News’ sixth Cameron’s Column.

John: What’s the best part about York Road? 

Toby: When thinking about York Road…I think the best part comes down to versatility. I mean, it’s deep. You get all the way down to 33rd St. with Pete’s Grill and some good stuff down there. Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. There are so many great things. Go a little bit upwards, and you have the Towson Circle, and that just screams versatility. You got your Sweet Greens, your Shake Shacks, and a lot of gas along the way, too. Chipotle. You can’t talk about York Road without mentioning Chipotle. 

John: What are your thoughts on the Enlightenment? 

Toby: I mean, I love to learn. I’m all about the whole learning thing. I just want to be enlightened. Enriched. When I think about intelligence, I feel like intelligent people use the word enlightenment. 

John: Do you actually cut your nails? 

Toby: In addressing the nails topic, I know there have been some rumors. I actually don’t cut my nails. I’m a little bit of a bite and a rip, which means I’m pretty well manicured. Nothing too crazy; they don’t get too long. Just a little bite here and a rip there. For toe nails, I mean obviously, I don’t do the whole bite thing. For toenails, I’m more of a snip before bed kind of guy. I have a little trash can, I’ll drop them in there. And I’ll discard them at the end of the week when the can starts to get full.   

John: How confident are you in the existence of the Tooth Fairy?

Toby: As far as the Tooth Fairy, I’d say I’m very confident in its existence. I mean, let’s go to the drawing board and look at the facts. You have your $5 bills for the big teeth, your $1 for the small ones, [and] occasionally a $2 bill. They aren’t getting there without the Tooth Fairy. It’s implausible, if you will. Unrealistic. I’ve personally never woken up to the Tooth Fairy, but I think I’ve heard stories about her through the grapevine, some on Twitter. But anything against her is fabricated. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think for a second she isn’t real. 

John: What would you say if you saw a gnome? 

Toby: I think of Romeo and Juliet when I first think of gnomes. That gnome movie. Just how much passion was shown in the animated film makes me just think of heart when I think of gnomes. I think they are probably underappreciated. They had a small cameo in that Project X movie, and the comedic relief was definitely there. So I appreciate what they do for the gardening community. And I am excited to see what they can continue to do. 

John: What emotions do you feel upon the first snowfall? 

Toby: It’s hard to put it into words. Pure joy. I feel like a kid again. I am 18. I’m an adult now. But it makes me feel like a kid again! It takes me back. When we talk about seasons, I think winter is pretty underrated because of days when there is no snow and it’s just cold and sucks. But that first snowfall, it really just screams hope. And we need more of that. We need more first snowfalls. 

John: Would you support dismantling the alpine tower for spare lumber? 

Toby: I know this has been debated a lot recently. I know I might be a little biased because today is a cold, rainy day, and [it] is a day where you might need a fire, a fireplace inside the house to warm you up. I know electronic fireplaces have kind of taken over, but you get the idea. At Gilman, I think we have a couple of conventional fireplaces, you know, not electronic, that could use the lumber. So yeah, I mean, I’m in full support, I’m going to go out there and say it. I know I might get some backlash from the Alpine Tower community and their supporters, but I’m just going to go out and say it. Call it as it is. 

John: What do you like about the third-floor bathroom?

Toby: I mean, it’s amazing. It's been an all-star for years. Playing in a league with the library bathroom, with Billy Smyth’s powder room. It does well for itself. A little bit hard to get there, you have to go up the stairs, but it's definitely worth it. It really does great.    

John: What’s your favorite thing about kale? Please answer in as few words as possible.

Toby: I like that it’s one syllable and a four-letter word!