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January 2016 - page 4

Salyers Sets Sights on Olympic Trials

in Features/Sports by
Photo: Sean Taylor
Photo: Sean Taylor

There is a Wesleyan Alumni that has made a big progression in his athletic career. Nick Salyers, class of 2012, has made an Olympic Trial cut in the pool and will compete at the Olympic Trials in June. The trials are held a month before the Olympics in Omaha, Nebraska. The top swimmers from around the country come and compete at the fastest and most competitive meet of the year. It is difficult to gain a cut for the trials, as they require not only speed, but endurance and grit.

When asked about his training regiment, Salyers said, “Currently, my main focus is on having my best year in the pool for the Bulldogs. So my schedule and training is not unlike my previous years at Georgia. We have however thrown in a few more long course (50 meter pool) meets into our typical schedule, like our dual meet against Florida which is normally short course (25 yard pool), in order to prepare for Olympic Trials. Also during the fall semester and over the breaks we did a lot more long course training in preparation for the Trials this summer.” Salyers had a good year for the Bulldogs, being one of the top contributors to the team.

In addition,he said, “I swim from 5:30-7am then have weights from 7:45-9 and then swim again in the afternoon from 2:45-5pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And then we have drylands from 2:15-3pm and then swim from 3:15-5pm every Tuesday and Thursday. We swim once for approximately 2 hours every Saturday and have Sunday off. The NCAA limits us to 20 hours of training per week. And we hit 20 hours exactly every week.”  Swimmers all around can attest to the fact that it is a harsh and exhausting training schedule.

Finally, I asked Salyers about his coaching staff and how they have helped him in his progression towards the trials.  He said, “Our coaches at Georgia are world class, but then we also have strength and conditioning coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and access to everything we need to succeed in the pool, classroom and life beyond sports.”  Coaches are so important towards a strong training program, and Salyers is the first of many to say that the coaches are top notch at UGA.

When asked about how balancing studies and time in the pool worked out, Salyers said, “It can be difficult at times. You really do have to sacrifice a lot at times in order to maintain the kind of schedule that I keep. But I thrive in that sort of challenge. It has been very rewarding to take on the challenge of swimming at UGA. Swimming has opened up many doors for me and taught me a lot about myself and a lot about hard work.”

Salyers is still looking to shave time of his 100 meter Backstroke, which is the event that he will be swimming in Omaha this June. His training will continue until then, as he looks to attempt to make the Olympic team as a senior in college.

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He Said; She Said

in Editorial by
  • IMG_1274-e1453903338838.jpg
    Baseball vs Soccer Photo: Hodges

Baseball – Will Harper

Babe Ruth once said, “I swing with everything I’ve got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.” I too like to live as big as I can, Babe. That is why I love baseball and hate soccer. Baseball is the greatest game of all time, but it is so much more than that. Baseball is one of the three major facets of American culture. The other two are hot dogs and beer, both of which are essential parts of baseball. Everything about baseball just oozes greatness. Comparing baseball to soccer is like comparing Tupac to Al Yankovic. Baseball is widely considered the greatest of all time, while soccer is just silly.

Conceptually, soccer is easily the least sophisticated sport ever. Kick the ball into the goal; that’s pretty much it. Some would say that simplicity is what makes soccer beautiful. I say that is bologna. Soccer is boring and easy. Perhaps you’re reading this thinking, “Wow, Will is really offending a lot of soccer players and fans right now.” That is probably true, but I’m totally ok with that because I wouldn’t want to be friends with a lame soccer player or fan anyway. I want my friends to like real sports, like baseball. It is also irritating that people try and call soccer football. Football is the name of a real sport involving real athletes who play with a leather prolate spheroid. In case you are an unsophisticated soccer player, prolate spheroid refers to the shape of an American football.

That’s enough about soccer. Time to talk about something worthwhile. Baseball’s value extends far beyond entertainment. Of course it is fun to play and watch, and that will always be the most important thing, but baseball is significant in so many other ways. The world’s greatest game is beneficial economically, politically, socially, spiritually, militarily and any other ily or ally you can think of. Doctors say that watching baseball makes everyone happier no matter what. There’s nothing better than sunflower seeds, peanuts and frozen lemonade in a stadium packed with all kinds of different people all united by the common bond of baseball. Even without the wonderful intricacies of the game, baseball reigns supreme over all other athletic endeavors. Ellie will probably be talking a lot of trash about me in her article. That is just a clear indicator that she doesn’t have enough to say about why soccer is superior, so she had to turn to bashing a fellow writer just to produce adequate content. The bottom line is that baseball is, always has been and always will be king, and soccer is just what four-year-olds play at the YMCA until they turn five and realize how dumb it is. Thank you.

 

 

 

Soccer – Ellie Hall

The difference between soccer and baseball is that soccer is “the beautiful game” and baseball is just the game, if that. I respect baseball and the skill it takes to be successful in the game, but let’s be honest, it is rather boring. Baseball is entertaining for maybe 45 minutes, but the average game lasts around two hours; the only entertaining part is at the end, so you have to sit through the whole game to get to the good part. Also, for stir-crazy people, like me, baseball can be somewhat tortuous because there is little excitement involved in the sport. In addition, the most annoying thing about baseball is the players are almost always super boastful about it when most all of the other spring sports are much more physically demanding. Baseball is just a “sport” for a bunch of ninnies who are too lazy to play an actual sport that requires you to be in shape. Baseball players only have to run 90 feet to each base where they then get to rest until they have to run again. Wow, how interesting! That was sarcasm, if you couldn’t already tell. Senior, Grant Sauer used to play baseball but quit to play soccer. When asked why he did this he said, “Because I wanted to be an athlete.” That pretty much sums it up. I could say more about baseball, but I know all of the baseball players will not too happy about this, so I will move on to explain how truly amazing soccer is.

Soccer is no doubt the best sport ever created. There is a reason why it is the most popular sport in the world. It is fun to play, fun to watch, and fun to coach. It may not be a high-scoring game, but for that reason, it keeps you engaged and gets you hyped every time a goal is scored. In addition, many uneducated people, like Will Harper, claim that soccer does not require any thinking and that it is boring to watch. These people clearly just do not understand the game because if they did, they would know that soccer players must always be aware of their surroundings and be able to react to any situation that could occur. Also, people who say this clearly just have not gotten off the couch long enough to play a game of soccer, and that is why they do not understand it. Also, I think it is important to take into consideration some of the famous soccer players that the world loves. For example, there is David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Morgan, Mia Hamm, etc. I would also like to add that many people who claim that they do not like to watch soccer, sure did hop on the bandwagon during the 2014 Men’s World Cup. Also, it would not be wise of you readers to listen to whatever rubbish Mr. Harper has to say because he has never played high school soccer or baseball, so he obviously does not know what he is talking about. In addition, he calls soccer boring, but he plays golf. Enough said.

High School According to de Tocqueville

in Editorial by

In “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville explicates the ills of the American dream, describing citizens of abundant democracies (Americans in particular) as melancholy slaves to success. My studies of de Tocqueville’s work in Jonathan Koch’s 10th grade English class turned out to be some of the most compelling and impactful curriculum I have engaged in at Wesleyan, and “Democracy in America” applies even to my high school career more than I ever thought it would.

Looking back on this captivating slice of my American Literature class, I’ve come to realize that my fascination with de Tocqueville’s writing is the result of relatable, applicable content that transcends the capricious fluctuations of American Culture. What de Tocqueville had to say will always be relevant, and it applies all too well to the life of a Wesleyan student.

De Tocqueville observed the irony of the American Dream; ambitious capitalists of the early 19th century worked so tirelessly to achieve an archetypal model of success that by the time they got what they wanted, they were dead. Here we are in the early 21st century, and nothing has changed. Americans have glorified the ideal lifestyle profusely, and our efforts to achieve this societal standard often dominate our existence so much that we never taste the fruits of our labor. At some point, the American Dream gets in the way of experiencing the American Dream, and if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves caught in a similar paradox as high school students.

Simply put, the American Dream goes something like this: graduate high school with a 4.0, relish in the “college experience,” establish a successful career, get married, start a family, make lots of money and then retire in Florida. This “dream” has evolved into a mundane list of achievements and milestones. We tenaciously strive to fit one mold after another until the American Dream is complete. Then, when we are finally retired at the ripe old age of 60, as we kick back in our rocking chairs and reflect on our success, we’ll realize that we’ve been so busy doing everything that we haven’t really done anything. We were so busy being successful that we forgot to make an impact or serve a purpose. We forgot to do something that actually matters, and we’ll feel empty. Most importantly, we’ll have forgotten to have fun.

Perhaps as a high school student at Wesleyan, you’re working to figure out where you fit in as a freshman, and by the time you do that, you’ll already be a sophomore. Then you might work so hard as a sophomore to accomplish something significant athletically that by the time you finish that, you’ll already be a junior. Then as a junior you’ll turn your focus toward academics, and as a senior, you’ll try to get into college. All the while, trying to fit in socially and portray a perfect Wesleyan student. No matter what endeavors you pursue in high school, don’t let them consume these four years of your life. Look around once in a while to enjoy where you are.

editorial photo

Top Five Water Fountains at Wesleyan

in Backpage by

5. Library water fountain- This is the only water fountain on the list in Wesley Hall. The Library is one of the more underappreciated establishments of the school. This water fountain is almost always vacant and is just the right amount of water at a time. It also happens to be across from both genders’ bathrooms which makes it a hot commodity for the students.

5. Library water fountain: This is the only water fountain on the list in Wesley Hall. The Library is one of the more underappreciated establishments of the school. This water fountain is almost always vacant and is just the right amount of water at a time. It also happens to be across from both genders’ bathrooms which makes it a hot commodity to the students.

4. Senior Hallway water fountain- The Foreign Language Department and the seniors have a wonderful treat of cool and refreshing cold water located just outside of the men’s restroom. Located just like 30 paces from the Junior/Senior lounge the water fountain is not a burden to walk to. In terms of actual distance the water fountain is almost dead center in the middle of the hallway.

4. Senior Hallway water fountain: The Foreign Language Department and the seniors have a wonderful treat of cool and refreshing cold water located just outside of the men’s restroom. Located just like 30 paces from the Junior/Senior lounge the water fountain is not a burden to walk to. In terms of actual distance the water fountain is almost dead center in the middle of the hallway.

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