TR: What made you want to come to MSU?
JR: I fell in love with the Southern hospitality and the people. I struggled with my decision to go so far away from home, but the cultural and life experiences I have gained here have validated my choice.
TR: What are some of the biggest differences in Illinois and Mississippi?
JR: I first realized how far away from home I was when a truck pulled up next to me at the gas station with a huge Confederate flag in the back window and a Mississippi license plate that read, “GENOCID.” Other things that I have had to grow accustomed to since moving to Starkville are the Southern drawl and colloquialisms such as “y’all” and “I’m fixin’ to,” and the usage of “ma’am” and “sir.”
I realized that fact that chivalry still exists, strangers talk to you, girls dress up to go to football games, guys have “frat boy swoop” hairstyles, people eat grits, drink sweet tea and call all other beverages Cokes. Everybody seems to own a pair of Wallabees, people drive more slowly and rarely honk their horns, religion constitutes a more integral part of daily life in the “Bible Belt” and Wal-Mart is the place to be and be seen. I have also developed an intense hatred for Ole Miss.
TR: Best road trip?
JR: Memphis! I went with my roommate Fer, one of my best friends (teammate Jennifer Hadden) and became acquainted with my soon-to-be fianc. That spur-of-the-moment road trip definitely changed my life.
TR: What will you miss most about MSU volleyball?
JR: I will miss the opportunity to fuel my competitive drive and sharpen my mental and physical toughness. I will also miss spending so much time with my teammates/best friends!
TR: Who’s the worst professor you’ve ever had? Why?
JR: My sophomore year, I had a communication professor who routinely made disparaging comments to athletes and refused to let us make up work we missed while on university-sponsored athletic trips.
The teacher would not let me turn in the missed assignments in advance, because that would “give me an unfair advantage over the rest of the class.”
He continually chastised me for participating in athletics, and I would have lost a letter grade solely based on my university-excused absences.
Since the insular professor did not see the injustice of the situation, the department head pulled me from the class and let me complete the course under her tutelage.
TR: As a middle blocker you get blocks and kills off quick sets which feels better?
JR: Definitely a kill. Hitting has always been my favorite aspect of the game. It feels good to slam a ball down and see the look on the opponents’ faces.