Sports Shorts

Athlete Of the Week

First-year catcher Julia Daher of Grosse Pointe, Mich. distinguished herself as an outstanding asset to the softball team during a doubleheader against Lake Erie College last week.

During the competition, Daher came away with eight runs batted in, six runs scored and a pair of doubles. In addition to these feats, she was walked three times, recorded 12 putouts and made two assists.
The women’s softball team recently lost two games in a conference doubleheader against Allegheny College, but are still doing relatively well this season with an overall total of 6-2 in the North Coast Atlantic Conference.

The Yeowomen softballers will play next on Saturday in another conference doubleheader against the College of Wooster.

Quote of the Week

“Dave Smolev recorded his 1,000th save, which was just astounding.”

–Sam Bryar
Junior lacrosse player

On the career mark Smolev achieved in Wednesday’s game.

Marquee Event

Softball
Doubleheader vs. Wooster
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Mary Culhane Field.

In the last week the softball team has crushed Erie College and lost a close one to Allegheny. On Saturday they play Wooster, hoping to improve their NCAC record.

In the Locker Room with. . .

As we wander all over campus together, first-year bowler Crockett Doob reveals everything about himself, from his best bowling moments to his long-standing obsession with dressing up in every style from drag to superhero costume.

How long have you been bowling?
CD: I remember doing it at birthday parties in Queens, New York, when I was six years old. I remember being really afraid because, like Oberlin, if you went over the line, alarms would go off.

The last bowler I talked to cited The Big Lebowski as a great inspiration. Has it been the same for you?
CD: It was definitely a significant influence, but it wasn’t my greatest inspiration.

Then what was your greatest inspiration?
CD: That’s a hard one. Lars Ulrich from Metallica was an inspiration for me to start drumming. When I was eight or nine, I was a total metal-head.

At some point during our conversation, I notice that Crockett, who like me was a student in the recent "Drag Practicum" ExCo, is wearing a pale pink and green frock. I call him out on it.

So how long have you been doing drag?
CD: Before the class, I had never really done drag as far as the make-up goes. I had some make-up as a little kid and my mom used to make me outfits. I was really into He-Man and my parents dyed a pair of my underwear red and my dad made me a vest. And I had blonde hair till I was four, so I looked like He-Man.

You seemed to have an extremely detailed memory of that for someone who was so young.
CD: I remember one day I was with my best friend Ben and my babysitter Lisa Brandt, who was a victim of the Holocaust as a child and then moved to America thereafter. Anyway, she said I had to keep my sweat-shirt and sweat-
pants on, but I could keep my sword sticking of the collar because I had my He-Man outfit on under the clothes. So of course once we got to the park, and I was away from Lisa, I immediately took off the normal clothes and stuck my sword in the air saying, "I have the power!" Ben was worried that I’d get in trouble. But Lisa caught me and I was kicking and screaming as she put my pants back on.

Neato. What was the best bowling moment of your life?
CD: It was my first night of league bowling. I wasn’t sure whether I was actually on this team or not. Our team was called the Chronic Bowlers. The rest of the team wasn’t there, so I was bowling for my entire team against another five-person team. We had lots of fun, and we did the whole pounding fist thing when we’d do well. But I beat them all. My total was higher than any of their totals for the three games.

So was He-Man your doorway into cross-dressing?
CD: I always liked dressing up. It didn’t matter whether it was male or female. I still like it. Obviously. (Referencing his pastel-themed dress.)

So what did you get out of the drag class?
CD: I learned how to walk in heels. I made new friends. I saw movies I probably wouldn’t have seen.

What is the meaning of life?
CD: There is no meaning. I don’t believe in meaning. Someone told me happiness. And I guess that’s a good goal. But I don’t think it’s realistic.

"Rather pessimistic, eh?" says my expression.

CD: I’m just joking.

How would you like to die?
CD: Imploding. Or not waking up.

All right. Last question. What would you say if you could get the whole world to listen to you for five minutes?
CD: Nothing. Maybe I’d play some Beck or something. Or maybe I’d mouth percussion sounds.

Fascinating, Crockett. Walking in heels with you in the drag class never revealed your ultimately pessimistic world-view. Perhaps you should take comfort in the equally pessimistic philosophies of existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre, who, like He-Man, would agree that you are not only free, YOU HAVE THE POWER!