HELP! How to talk to him?

so there's this senior i like and we are sort of perfect for each other. we have a lot in common but...we've never talked to each other. we don't have any cles together either. so i've basically liked him from afar and i really want to get to know him but don't know how. we're both on the quiet side so its not the easy for me to go up to someone and say hey! what's your name? so how can i get myself to talk to him... also is getting a friend that tell him i like him a bad thing to do?