The Oberlin Review
<< Front page Sports December 7, 2007

In the Locker Room: Alicia Smith

This week Moose Terry sat down with sophomore basketball extraordinaire Alicia Smith. After playing smaller roles on the team last year, Smith is looking to become a more important player. Smith talks about her hopes for this season, as both an Oberlin athlete and a tutor, how she idolizes Gandhi and her attempt to become a vegetarian.

Moose Terry: You are a sophomore going into your second season as a Yeowoman basketball star. How was your first season with the team, and what were some of the lessons you learned?
Alicia Smith: Last year was a real transition year for me. I was at a new school with a new team and coaches. One of the hardest things was going from a senior leader to a first-year who was learning a new program.

MT:  What changes do you want to see happen from last season?

AS: I personally want a bigger role on the team. I really want to focus on my endurance and general game shape. Working out more is one of the most important things. As a team, we want a better record and a better standing in the NCAC.

MT:  What goals are you focusing on this coming season?

AS: We definitely want to get a few more wins than we did last year. There’s a theme of positive attitudes, which we hope will keep us focused and give us a chance to succeed. We really want to beat Wooster and Earlham twice this season. Last year we lost to LaRoche, and I think we can really take teams like this. Also, I want to shock teams like Hiram.

MT:  What motivates you as an Oberlin athlete?
AS: I am tired of being overlooked by the other teams in the conference because they have little to no respect for us. I really want to gain more respect for the athletic department from opponents. The dirty hippie image of the athletic department is getting old, and I would like to see it change.

MT: It can be tough getting yourself up for games and competing at the college level. Are there any special things you do to get hyped?
AS:  I like to listen to music on my iPod. Anything from rap to really slow and cheesy music gets me going. Elliott Smith, MC Light and Joe Budden’s “Pump it Up” can all be involved in my pregame warm up. They get me really stoked.

MT: What do you do as a team to get up for games?
AS: Someone on the team always does some sort of psych, like a quote. These are suppose to get us relaxed and focused on what we are going to do during the game. The captains did this rap about everyone on the team. We also before every game go around and do a check-in on how everyone is feeling.

MT: Are there any particular people you look up to for inspiration?
AS: Ghandi is a very important idol in my life. He was nonviolent and a vegetarian. People say I am non-confrontational, and I am trying to become a vegetarian. However, one difference is that I do not fight colonialism on a regular basis.

MT: What activities outside of basketball do you have that you are passionate about?

AS: Tutoring is an interesting activity I do for class. I take Booker Peek’s Practicum in Tutoring, and it’s like nothing else I’ve done. It tests my patience but it’s fun to have someone look up to you as a role model.

MT: What’s your favorite part of being a Yeowoman?

AS: I don’t have to care about what I’m wearing or what I’m doing on campus. Someone else is always dressed worse or doing something incredibly weird. At home, people might think I’m crazy, but here I’m considered a part of the crowd.

MT: Well, it’s time for this week’s “Finals are the most wonderful time of the year” question of the week. Alicia, what would you rather own a water park or a rollercoaster park?
AS: I prefer rollercoasters because they really get my adrenaline pumping with the big drops. Unless, of course, the drop is too big — then it just scares me. Also I can’t swim, and I’m not trying to drown anytime soon.   

 
 
   

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