The man under the mask is Dylan Lawrence, a screenwriting major at DePaul. “The original reason I started doing this was because I was incredibly depressed and just really going through it,” Lawrence said. Inspired by a local man who would walk in a Superman outfit in his hometown of Kansas City, MO, Lawrence decided to get in on it too. “I originally just had a Spider-Man jacket that my grandma gave to me,” Lawrence said. He knew within the first week that something special had happened, especially when someone asked him for a photo.

Eventually, he moved up to the Spider-Man costume DePaul students see. Lawrence came into college fully expecting his peers to think he was weird and is surprised by their acceptance of him. “It’s weird, but very heartwarming and humbling,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence stressed how important mental health is, especially for him. He spoke about how the line “With great power comes great responsibility” and how a simple smile can change the landscape around you.  “If you have the ability to change either yourself or the world around you, do it in however way you can,” Lawrence said.

Two bystanders to the interview, Mikala Durall and Maura Mitchell, commented on their experience with Spider-Man. “It’s kind of bonding for all DePaul students because I know when I see him, I take a video and I send it to all of my friends,” Mikala Durall said. “He brings such good energy,” Maura Mitchell said.

For the record, Lawrence’s favorite portrayal of Peter Parker was Tobey Maguire.