8 minute read
Bulldog Athletics
What’s it like to be a sTUDENT-athlete at the University of Redlands?
Three athletes talk about their day-to-day lives as students, competitors, and teammates
By Lilledeshan Bose ’22 Photography by Carlos Puma
Balancing sports, school, work “In August, preseason, we get up to run at 7 a.m., before it gets too hot outside. Afterward, we maybe lay by the pool, eat with friends. Then we go for a second run—another six miles—later in the day. During track season, we have practice at 7 a.m. We run for 12 miles. Then I go to class: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and then 1 p.m. Then we have practice again at 4 p.m.—we either lift weights or run 3 miles.
It’s demanding, but it’s fun with all my friends. It’s hard to balance sports, school, and work, but I’ve managed it the last four years. The small class sizes at Redlands help me a lot academically, and I enjoy the one-on-one instruction. It also helps that I always have my coaches’ support; it’s easy to go in and talk to them.”
Alexis Wallace ’22 math major cross-country and track Team Member
A ‘super-welcoming’ team “I made my decision to come to Redlands after an overnight visit with the track team. Being a student-athlete was nice because I had my instant group of friends. All cross-country runners are superwelcoming and inviting. I mean, who likes to run? Not many people. You’ve got to be a little crazy to enjoy running—so you’re constantly surrounded by those people. We love hanging out together, and we always have a good time. There’s no drama anytime on our team.”
Finding answers “In my freshman year, I took a May Term course in math called Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. I was the only first-year in class with juniors and seniors. It was intimidating. By the end of the class, my professor told me I was top in the class. It was rewarding to hear. That’s when I thought, “Maybe I should be a math major.” I really enjoy math because there’s always an answer. Whenever you’re in English class and write an essay, one professor may love that essay and one professor may hate it. In math, it’s either right or wrong, and there’s no discussion about it.”
Drake Moody ’23 global business major attacker, men’s water polo
‘If you’re not moving your legs, you’ll drown’ “I started playing because my dad was a water polo player on the Denmark national team. Scoring is always fun, but my favorite thing about water polo is my team’s camaraderie and sense of community, especially in college, where everything’s new and you’re learning to be an adult. You don’t know how to socialize sometimes; having a team makes it a lot easier and more fun.
Depending on the day, we have morning practice at 6 a.m. I’ll be up at 5:30 a.m., we get breakfast as a team, then we all go our different ways for classes. Then, we all meet back up at the pool at 4 p.m. for our second practice.
Aside from the dead hair and red eyes from chlorine, water polo athletes usually have a great sense of athletic skill. We’re constantly moving in the water. I probably eat three plates a meal, nine plates in total every day, because we burn so many calories. If you’re not moving your legs, you’ll drown. So water polo players have more grit. We’re tough.”
Forming friendships “Being a student-athlete at Redlands is nice because it’s a smaller campus, and you form friendships with different teams. My suitemates are in track and field; we all have the mentality of being a student-athlete and can relate to the grind.”
Communicating with coaches and professors “As a global business major, I have a lot of intensive courses, but as long as you do all your work, it’s not too bad. The most important thing about being a student-athlete here is communicating with your coaches and professors because you’re constantly going to practice, going to class, and doing homework.”
Goals for the game “I started playing volleyball when I was 12 years old. As a middle blocker, I’m the first line of defense with my hands over the net. I’m trying to slow the ball down, get a block, or channel the ball into another direction toward the passers.
We have team breakfast before every practice, and then we do something called “tapping in,” where we set our goals for our game or practice. It could be personal; it could also be for the team, so we’re mentally focused. Then we go from there. My goal today was to have no hesitation, go for every ball, play with confidence, and be aggressive on the court.”
Makayla Sorensen ’24 biology major middle blocker, women’s volleyball
Striking a balance “My biggest thing coming into college was finding that balance between academics and volleyball because I was always the student who needed to take AP classes and get an A in every class. That’s why I came to Redlands—the culture here is geared toward academics. I get to continue playing the sport that I love but still really focus on my academic career. That was very important to me.
On my first visit to Redlands, I saw how supportive the community was. It’s the best part of being a student-athlete. When I’m not playing my games, I like to go support other teams here at Redlands. I know other athletes do the same for us.”
A team, on and off the court “I’ve always loved science. I find it challenging, and I like learning things that are hard to understand. This semester I have biology, organic chemistry, and statistics. It’s challenging being a biology major and a volleyball player. That’s where time management and a lot of planning comes into play. Some of my teammates have similar courses, so we study together. We work as a team both on and off the court to get our coursework done.” OT
COCO MCKOWN ’04, ’10 COCO MCKOWN ’04, ’10
Shirin Hameister ’22 (left), Sonal Patel ’24 (center), and Yessenia Yorgesen all took part in organizing a computer science camp in San Bernardino this summer.
IN THE COMMUNITY / SCHOOL OF EDUCATION / U of R education students expand computer science access for kids
By Katie Olson
As a coordinator in the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) Digital Learning Innovation Department, Sonal Patel ’24 provides professional development and educational technology support to educators and administrators across the county’s 33 school districts that together serve about 450,000 students. As a doctoral student at the University of Redlands School of Education, her focus is on ways to expand computer science access and equity.
Last summer, Patel applied this focus to her job and co-organized a free, virtual computer science summer camp for elementary school students. The goal, alongside SBCSS colleague John Duran, was to provide a fun and educational online experience. “Computer science allows students to engage with problemsolving and critical thinking as they tap into their creative abilities,” she says.
A unique opportunity The camp, which was funded by the county’s Expanded Learning Department, launched in July with 13 U of R student volunteers instructing 80 children. Patel says it opened up computer science education to a diverse set of students in San Bernardino County. “This may not have been possible if students were asked to come in person. I was delighted that school districts supported this virtual summer camp by providing access to computers, wifi, and other resources,” she says.
Partnering with SBCSS made complete sense, says U of R Associate Director of the Office of Student Success Yessenia Yorgesen. “Our graduate students gained the early fieldwork experiences needed to complete their teaching program, and it was a great avenue to serve the educational community.”
—Shirin Hameister ’22
Exploring computer science The camp’s first week focused on blockbased coding, while the second half concentrated on physical computing. Instructors and students familiarized themselves with computer science education software and tools, such as Google CS First, browser-based coding platform Piper computer kits, and singleboard computer kits from Raspberry Pi. After learning the basics of the Python programming language, students were able to start building their own systems.
One silver lining from the pandemic? Facilitators found that students were easier to teach virtually, because the school districts distributed Chromebooks to every student for online learning. Shirin Hameister ’22, a camp facilitator and a student in the School of Education’s Learning and Teaching program, says the experience was valuable for everyone: “There were times when facilitators were teaching each other, and moments when the kids were teaching us.”
A win-win The camp’s success means Patel is already looking forward to growing computer science events at SBCSS, with possibilities for hybrid camps, taught by more Redlands graduate students. “I loved making connections with the kids—it was amazing, and I hope they are inspired to continue pursuing STEM.” OT