Everything you thought you knew about Thunder Powell is wrong

You’ve seen him at The Regent, you’ve passed his grinning face in line for a PSL at Club Libe and if you’ve ever entered Duffield to use the bathroom on your way to Collegetown, you’ve probably encountered him there, too.

He’s been at Cornell for five years, and to be honest, he’ll probably be here for five more.

Known for his gregarious personality, Yik Yak rumors and campus omnipresence, Thunder Powell, a 21-year-old senior majoring in Computer Science, still remains a bit of an enigma.

We sat down with the man himself to discover the history of his persona, how he handles being recognized and whether or not he fingered a baby deer.

How did “Thunder” happen?
Long story short, well, still kind of a long story. My high school best friend in Atlanta, Adrian, and I used to throw house parties when his mom was out of town during the weekends. So one weekend, we threw a party on a Friday night that got out of hand due to the mixture of incessant twerking, blue jeans, large amounts of sweat and white walls. To fix our mess, we tried to paint the walls back to white, but it turned out that his walls were “pearl” white, so it was terrible.

His mom came home, flipped out and asked us to pay for the damages. So of course we threw a “Laundry Foam Party” to raise money, but we made our names on the Facebook invite Thunder and Lightning. And from then on, it just stuck. I tried to change it back on Facebook before college, but I was banned from changing my name again, so Cornell people thought it was Thunder and I just never corrected them. Didn’t help that I’d introduce myself as Thunder when drunk, though.

Were you ever worried that you’ve portrayed yourself as having “too good of a time?” 
Yes, I am worried, but I am very diligent in school so it balances it out. But on a personal level, I don’t think I’ve had enough fun because where exactly is the limit for fun? I wouldn’t know because I think you can never have too good of a time.

How has being known as “Thunder” for the last four years and knowing pretty much everyone on campus affected your academic and personal life?

Well, back in the day I could pretty much do whatever I wanted on campus without question. But it’s definitely great to always be able to say “hi” to people on campus. However, I guess the worst thing about being “Thunder” is that people always have insane, differing opinions or start rumors about me which has affected my friendships the last few years. With so many people talking about me, it can be hard for the people (who actually know me) to determine what is and isn’t true. Also, there’s the whole people-not-knowing-my-actual-name thing, but they will spread rumors anyway. That’s just irritating.

What is the funniest story you’ve heard about yourself, and what was your initial reaction to it?

Well, the rumor that I once punched a professor outside of Chapter House (#RIP) and got frostbite … like, what? People can be so creative. And the best part about that rumor is that I wasn’t even on campus since I took time off; so it’s 100 per cent false. Hilarious, yet completely false.

I heard you trended on Yik Yak last semester. Can you tell me about it?
I trended on Yik Yak when I wasn’t even on campus for “fingering a baby deer”. Like, what? How someone could even come up with something like that is beyond me.

What’s your favorite drink and what’s your favorite shot?
Well, I’m obsessed with Red Bull and love the taste of Jäger, so for my favorite drink, I have to say Jägerbombs. But regarding shots, I love fire, so anything flaming. Because it’s just fun. Doesn’t taste any different but the fact that it’s actually on fire just makes it so much better, especially if it includes Malibu.

We heard you’re helping a friend from Atlanta start a nightlife app. How is that experience so far, and how excited are you for it to launch?
Well, all I can say is that I am really, really proud of how it’s progressing so far. It is so much fun to work on it, especially as a CS major who hates CS, because I am working towards a bigger goal. TooLive is gonna change the game.

You’re known as the “life of the party” and a campus social butterfly. Do you see yourself this way?
What can I say? I’m just too alive, and I do what I do. I love hanging out with people, putting myself out there and just having a good time. Life is too short to sit in my room and mope, you know? But I have cut down on social drinking lately. My body is just getting too old for that nowadays, because I’m an old man now.

If you could write a number one best-selling memoir what would you title it?
I would name it Thunder, Based on a True Story, because I exaggerate a lot. So if anyone asked for sources on the true story behind my adventures, I could just say: “that kind of happened, so yeah.”

Would you consider yourself a Southern gentleman at heart, or have you fallen in love with the Northern way of life?
I mean, I used to consider myself a Southern gentleman, but that label comes with a long history of misogyny and homophobia that I don’t really wanna associate myself with. But I do try to be a gentleman as often as possible. Well, besides when I’m trying to Netflix and Chill. But that’s only five days out of the week, never on Wednesdays and only at night.

How often are you participating in your fraternity (DKE) these days?
Well, they just opened up a chapter at Ithaca College, which is really exciting since we’re currently off-campus. So it’s always fun to hang out with and get to know them. A fraternity is the family that I chose, so I try to stay as involved as I can at this point.

Finally, is there anything else people need to know about the infamous Thunder Powell?
First off, my name isn’t actually Thunder. It’s Omari Jibri Powell. Secondly, I did not finger a baby fawn. Third, if I have met you while drunk, please do not be offended if I don’t know you. I promise it isn’t personal. Fourth, I #StandWithPP and am always down to talk politics. Lastly, follow me on Twitter at @ThundersRoars because see, I’m just a regular guy.

Thunder is expected to graduate in May of 2016 and will go on to work as a software engineer for Google’s NYC office.

Here are some gems you can find from his Twitter:

i challenge you to only hookup with people who are worthy to hold your child this weekend.

— #StandWithPP (@ThundersRoars) October 1, 2015

Doctor said I need more calcium in my system. baileys it is then

— #StandWithPP (@ThundersRoars) July 31, 2015

current mood: drunk listening to spice girls

— #StandWithPP (@ThundersRoars) September 21, 2015

went on a date friday lol and i asked her the same question twice. Her: ” You already asked me that” Me: “You never answered the question”

— #StandWithPP (@ThundersRoars) August 30, 2015