Pink ribbons, pearls, handbags, sunglasses, shaggy moon boots and sports equipment clutter the room of first-year field hockey and lacrosse player Grace Eginton, who is famous for being classy, sassy, fashion-savvy and incredibly hard-working on the field or in her room putting together a great outfit. May I present to you, within the pages of the Review’s sports section, a glimpse into the life of a true varsity athlete and fashion maniac, Grace Eginton.

L: So, Grace, how is the women’s lacrosse team looking for their upcoming season and how has your rigid practice schedule affected your fashionista lifestyle?
G: I think that being a fashionista is a pretentious concept. I don’t have the attitude, “I dress better than other people.” I just like clothes and don’t find it a competition. I try to save the competition for the field. The team looks great though. We played in some scrimmages at Denison a few weeks ago. We looked really good. We have been working hard inside Jones [field house] despite the space constraints, and I think us practicing so hard inside will make the season outdoors that much better.

L: It must be difficult practicing on the indoor turf at Jones for the entire beginning half of your season. Do you have those little black pellets from the turf engrained in your soul?
G: Yeah, the floor of my dorm room is covered with pieces of Jones. It’s in my hair. The pellets are everywhere.

L: So what do you do to unwind after a tough week sweating it up inside that stiflingly hot field house?
G: Well, I really like to dress up so I break out my black moon boots or a pair of stiletto heels, except I’m not really a fan of all the cracks in the sidewalk here and all the ice. I have a pair of monster fake pearls a good half inch in diameter. Those are fun. I like to wear them to the ’Sco. Do I wear them to the Feve? No, I’m only seventeen. I’m not old enough to get in, and I will never be while I go to school here.

L: Whoa, you’re really young... and bitter. How do you feel about Oberlin’s sports apparel, fashion-wise? Do you like wearing a kilt for lacrosse and field hockey? Do you know when the tradition began?
G: I think women started wearing kilts for field hockey in the early 1900s when they started playing for colleges. Lacrosse and field hockey are very similar culture-wise. If we wore the same thing as soccer, we wouldn’t stand out as much. I like the balance between jersey and kilt. I think we look very polished. I’m excited about our lacrosse game uniforms. I will definitely be accessorizing my uniform with a ribbon.

L: Yeah, what’s up with that?
G: In high school we were very preppy. This one girl on my team would tie a huge hair ribbon on her goggles. It took up half her head. It was fantastic. I like my ribbons and continue to wear them. For the first couple of weeks I showed up to practice here with ribbons in my hair and people would always comment on them, especially Kira [Thorien]. “Hey Grace... what’s going on with that thing in your hair?” I love them.

L: During the field hockey season your father would often fly up from Virginia in his little airplane to watch the games. Will he continue to do so this spring for your lacrosse season?
G: I hope so. It was nice when he would fly low over the game when we were warming up and buzz the field. When I was little my dad used to fly over the house and do tricks, and it made my mom freak out. He would do hammerheads all the time.

L: What are hammerheads?
G: It’s when you are flying normally and then all of a sudden you fly straight down (motioning with her hands) and level out just before it looks like you are about to hit the ground. My Dad’s a huge daredevil. He’s also really into motorcycling. One time he rode through Dascomb on his motorcycle.

L: When did your father go to school here, and why was he riding motorcycles in dorms?
G: I think he was the class of 1980. He rode through Dascomb on Saint Patrick’s Day during a meal with three other people on the back of his bike. He got a standing ovation.

L: Wow, you are a legacy here.
G: Yeah, it’s cool. My mom also went to Oberlin. I see her every day because her picture is on the wall in the gym for track and field. That’s kinda neat.

L: It must be difficult following in the footsteps of a rebellious father and an all-American track star mother. Do you have any big attention-grabbing plans for the future or will your hair ribbons suffice for now?
G: I’m not as wild as my father, and as much as I would love to have a motorcycle, I don’t think my mom would let me near one. I have always dreamed of owning a black Ducati. It’s an Italian motorcycle. I think a red leather Chanel riding outfit would complete the picture. It’s not going to happen in the near future though. Do you know how much that would cost? A Chanel, red leather, custom-fit, riding outfit would be more than the bike...

I leave Grace writing a letter to her grandmother, plotting ways to walk up the stairs at the Feve looking four years older and daydreaming about black motorcycles and red leather.