The Medallion #35 - Early Spring 2022

the

a publication by the FSU Honors Student Association

NEW BEGINNINGS

Issue #35 February 2022

07

Knowing When to Quit

10

Significance of Sit-ins

19

Lunar New Year

CONTENTS

03 Letter from the Editor

06

Knowing When to Quit

13 412 to 850

21 Student Submission: The Bird

05 What's Happening in HSA?

09

The Significance of Sit=ins

18

Chinese New Year: How the Zodiacs got their order

22

First Fridays in Railroad Square

26 Erin Murphy: More than Just an Athlete

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader,

Hello and welcome to the early Spring edition of The Medallion! We hope you're as excited as we are to introduce new themes, new teams, and to get back into it.

The theme for this edition is "New Beginnings". To me, this is a very heavy theme. Beyond those resolutions we all set (and fail to complete), new beginnings is the first theme of a new e-board, new positions, and a new life for HSA. I'm proud to be your new Director of Marketing and Communications, and happy to introduce our new Medallion writers.

I've spent the past three years involved with the HSA marketing team as a writer and freshman liaison and am happy to show off the work of our new chairs: Jamie Guterman; Sasha Smith; and Max Mitchell. Our communications chair, Alexis Dorman, is also writing for us this edition, and has been hard at work keeping all of you in the loop through our social media.

This edition also features our first creative student submission of the semester! Hopefully, this represents another "new" - a movement towards involvement, representation, and sharing within the honors community. As always, send any questions, concerns, or submissions to us at hsaeboard19@gmail.com

2022 will be a time of growth, renewal, and more. Let this edition give you a fun reprieve from midterms, the srress of life, and whatever else you need it to be while you set up your own new beginnings.

Editor-in-Chief,

01

Callista Payne

A DISCLAIMER

Any thoughts, opinions, political beliefs, or otherwise personal ideas are representative of the student writer, and not of the Honors Program itself. The Honors Student Association strives to offer platforms for discussion and critical thought for its members, and The Medallion is happy to be a part of that.

Writers for this edition include: Jamie Guterman, Sasha Smith, Max Mitchell, Alexis Dorman, Callista Payne, and Nathan Williams.

COMING UP IN HSA We'll be sending out announcements about our upcoming events once a week!

Feb / March sun

mon

tue

wed

thu

fri

sat

25

27

3

Study Event 8

9

Bingo Night

The Medallion (this issue!) comes out

Monthly breakfast in HSA

Game Day

26

The Big Event

KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT (yes, actually quit)

To get into the Honors

Even so, the process of

Program at FSU, high school

quitting, as a highly

students must be driven, so

motivated student, can be

it’s only natural that they

challenging. Often, when

should carry that drive into

students quit an activity,

college. Honors students are

they feel like they're failing.

typically highly involved on

That being said, it's

campus and leaders in

important to remember that

multiple student

quitting one of five different

organizations. But, often,

activities is prioritizing, not

this level of involvement can

failing.

lead to high stress, poor life/work balance, and anxiety. As honors students, it’s important to be aware of how thin we’re spreading ourselves.

Annie Blanchard, a secondyear Honors student adds: “As honors students, I think we often equate success with busyness, when that’s just simply not the case. It’s

If all of the extracurricular

hard to let go of a

activities and involvements

commitment that takes up

become too stressful, it’s

lots of time, because it can

critical to know when to

sometimes become a part of

double down on fewer

your identity...

activities that provide more fulfillment.

...But realizing that you have

While there’s a stigma

needs separate from any job

attached to quitting,it’s

or club or class is extremely

sometimes necessary for a

important, and it can be the

healthier and happier life.

first step towards

So when will you know

happiness!”

when it’s time to quit? Here are some signs:

You don't have hobbies

You feel unfulfilled You're never relaxed

You feel tired all the time

You don't have time to hang out with friends

You feel guilty when you aren't busy

Quitting doesn't have to be a bad thing.

If prioritizing your mental health and overall wellness means taking a step back from some activities, take the leap!

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SIT-INS HOW THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT REACHED TALLAHASSEE STUDENTS

BY MAX MITCHELL

With February coming to an end, it's important to continue learning and reflecting on the importance of black history. Bravery and unity were cornerstone during the fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s, which set the tone for movements for equality today. This article will discuss a form of resistance and its impact on not only the nation, but our local community of Tallahassee as well.

Sit-ins were a form of nonviolent protest in which a group of people refused to move from the space they occupied unless their demands were met. It was employed to initiate economic, political, or societal change and was popularized during the Civil Rights Movement. They were utilized to spread public awareness, financially impact segregated businesses, and disrupt the status quo. Unfortunately, they often led to violence, threats, and taunting from the opposition, like being verbally assaulted and assailed with food. When this violence occurred, the protestors were expected to endure the aggression so as not to undermine the peaceful purpose and create room for denunciation. Furthermore, when the police arrived and removed activists, other protestors came in to fill the cleared seats.

One of the first sit-ins occurred in 1939 at the Alexandria Library in Virginia. Samuel Wilbert Tucker, a young lawyer, was protesting unequal access to community resources like not being able to receive a library card. Subsequently, a group of young black adults filled five tables within the library, reading silently and refusing to move. As a result, the police were called and escorted the protestors out for "disorderly conduct." Tucker challenged the city in court, resulting in the community accepting a "separate but equal" library. In 1940, the library board approved construction and funding for a new library with a black librarian. Tucker remained steadfast in his fight for equality despite this disappointing outcome. He led a

Samuel Wilbert Tucker| From Wikipedia

prominent law firm, argued significant civil rights cases, and was the lead lawyer for Virginia's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter.

Several sit-ins followed; however, the most famous sit-in occurred in February 1960 at the F.W. Woolworth Company Department Store in Greensboro, North Carolina. Four students at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University- Ezell Blair Jr, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond- led this protest at a whites-only lunch counter in the store. They purchased small items and used their receipts to verify they were paying customers. The Greensboro Four, as they were called, sat at the counter waiting to be served.

The manager called the police; however, there wasn't much they could do since they were paying customers and weren't being unruly. Media coverage was immediate. A picture of the sit-in appeared in the local newspaper, and the protest expanded rapidly. Over the following three days, more and more black students joined in, filling every seat in the store and spilling onto the sidewalk. This unrest led to national media coverage and similar sit-ins popping up in cities across the United States. The sit-ins were an early success for the movement. Southern restaurants began integrating, including the North Carolina Woolworths, integrated in July 1960.

Greensboro Four | From Smithsonian Magazine

Inspired by the Greensboro Four, students from FAMU and other local Tallahassee high schools also held sit-ins. On February 13, 1960, students sat at the Woolworth lunch counter on Monroe Street for two and a half hours. A week later, another sit-in was scheduled by the local chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality or CORE. Eleven students participated and were greeted by the police and mayor, who were dogged to continue segregation. The students refused to budge, and all of them were arrested, tried, and jailed. They were the first sit-in group to be jailed in the country. On March 12, 1960, the protests resumed with an interracial sit-in composed of CORE members, FAMU students, and white FSU students. On the same day, approximately 1,000 FAMU students gathered in groups of 75 and were attacked with tear gas and more arrests. Unfortunately, by early 1961 local support for CORE dwindled, and sit-ins lost their momentum in the area.

Even though sit-ins faded around the end of 1960 and individual sit-ins may not have led to reform, the legacy and impact of sit-ins are undeniable. They directly led to the desegregation of many Southern establishments, proved the importance of coordinated action, and were a catalyst for creating the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In addition, sit-ins were a precursor to many other significant and effective resistance methods like the freedom rides. Sit-ins are a testament to the empowerment of black people and students like us in fighting for what's right.

Greensboro lunch counter | From Library of Congress

Nashville Sit-In 1960 | From Library of Congress

412 850 to

By Max Mitchell

Coming to Florida State from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was a new beginning for me. I went from a coal, ketchup, and steel industrial center to a smaller agricultural state capital.

There are some major differences that took a little to get accustomed to. The landscape is very flat here, and there are palm trees. Students here had hurricane days and not snow days. I say pop and Car-mole instead of soda and care-a-mell- to list a few.

My only previous experience with Florida has been on vacation to a beach or Disney during the winters. However, for the past six months, living here has given me a new perspective on the area's unique history and charm. I have had the best time learning about Florida's history and observing every difference between both of my homes.

Honestly, I had never heard of Florida State before applying. It was only on my radar because of the film school. I just applied to whichever school had the best film programs. I applied to schools like Emerson, Penn State, and DePaul, all located in bigger cities and closer to home. I always imagined going to school in a large city, so FSU was kind of a wildcard. Plus, all of my friends seemed to be staying nearby and I was denied admission to the film school (however there was a chance of reapplying after my first year). On the other hand, I had a scholarship that made school affordable, acceptance into the Honors Program and a fun activity oriented environment. A challenging decision loomed over my conscience.

All of this changed when I visited my brother in Atlanta and drove down to see the campus.

It was at the height of the pandemic, so there were no tours, and no one was on campus.

Instead, my father and I took a self-guided walking tour making stops at Westcott, Calvin's, and of course, Doak Campbell. This visit made my decision a lot easier. I had that cliché feeling of this is where I belong, among the abundant greenery and charming gothic architecture.

The clock was ticking. I was stuck between two schools, each with their own positives and drawbacks.

I grappled with this for a while. I attended informational sessions on Zoom and poured over all the information I could gather about each school from the internet in the hopes that it would show me the right choice. I asked friends and family, but they all told me the same thing- it's your decision. Yes, they were right, but that's not what I wanted to hear. I closed my eyes and went with my intuition at the end of the day. Wherever I saw myself, I would decide to go to that school! I saw myself at Florida State.

My family and I packed everything into my car to make the fifteen-hour trek. There wasn't any room to spare; every item fit together like a game of Tetris. After dropping my brother off at college in Atlanta, my parents and I finished the last leg to Florida State. The following two days were full of running around, moving everything into my dorm, shopping for groceries, and ultimately an emotional goodbye outside of Landis Hall.

That night I finally had a free moment to think. It hit me that I was by myself—no planned responsibilities and no one that I knew. I was in an empty dorm in an unfamiliar place feeling pretty overwhelmed. After a therapeutic cry session, I honestly decided to go to bed. Over the next few days, I applied to clubs and tried to meet as many people as possible. Luckily, there were a lot of welcome events that made the transition easier.

For example, there was an out-of-state fair where we could meet other students from the same state. Through these fun events, I met many people and made many friends.

It isn't always easy, and I sometimes feel homesick or lonely. I remind myself that this is normal for everyone. I try to do something fun every day to interrupt my homework or classes like going out with friends, taking an exercise class, seeing a movie at the SLC, or just staying in my room all day. My life changed so much in such a short period, and it was vital for me to find a constant familiarity in my life. Something small like knowing I can call my family at any point or just coming back to my own bed reassures me.

I remember feeling so nervous to commit to FSU. It was a giant leap of faith with many unanswered questions and uncertainty. For me, I went with my gut and turned on 'autopilot' mode until I got here. I compartmentalized what I needed to do, following each step one at a time. It's an exciting and terrifying feeling of creating a new beginning. I've learned so much about myself and a new place. The risk and anxiety were difficult, but the reward has been so much more than I could've ever thought of. Adventuring out of my comfort zone was what I needed. I just wish someone had told me how expensive flights out of Tallahassee would be!

Chinese New Year :

HOW THE ZODIACS GOT THEIR ORDER By: Alexis Dorman

新年快樂

Everyone, Happy New Year! If you do not already know, we recently welcomed the Chinese New Year on February 1st of this year. As someone who has celebrated Chinese New Year their entire life, and who attended “Chinese School” for more than half, I have studied the zodiac fable time and time again. Personally, it is one of my favorites. In light of us moving from the year of the ox to the year of the tiger, I thought, what better way to celebrate than share the story of the Zodiac Race with all of you!

Centuries ago, the Jade Emperor decided to send one of his men down to the mortal world. The Jade Emperor sent this man down to find animals that could act as guards. The man was able to find twelve animals, just like the Jade Emperor had asked, and sent them to the “heavenly gate.”

This is where the race began…each animal would compete to make it to the finish line, determining their ranking in the emperor’s lineup.Off to a quick start, the rat gets to the river first. But, it is way too rough for a small creature to cross. So, the rat has no choice but to patiently await the arrival of another animal. Not long after, the ox arrives at the river. The rat jumps into the ox’s ear to cross the river and the ox (being kind-hearted) allows it. The ox successfully crosses the river and sets off for the emperor’s palace. Just as the ox approaches the finish line, the rat jumps out of the ox’s ear and secures first place in the race—leaving the ox in second.

Stealthy and determined, the tiger claims the third-place spot not long after. The rabbit, finishing in fourth, was able to successfully cross the river by strategically hopping across stones. The dragon, an honorable creature, stopped in a nearby village to aid the people living there and then proceeded to fly across the finish line, finishing in fifth.

After the dragon, the horse charged towards the finish line, only to finish in seventh place behind the snake who sneakily slithered off the horse’s hoof and claimed sixth.

In the back of the race: the goat, monkey, and rooster (who all cannot swim) formed a pact to help each other across the river. They worked together to create a raft and finished in eighth, ninth, and tenth place (respectively). In eleventh place was the dog. While the dog had the potential to finish earlier, the high-spirited creature took time to play in the river before crossing.

Finally, the pig, who did not even wake up until halfway through the race, finished in twelfth (last place).

The pig’s arrival concluded the emperor’s heavenly race and provided us with the order of the twelve zodiacs!

-Alternative Plot: In some versions of the story there is also the inclusion of a cat who competed in the race but was never able to finish because of the rat’s deception. This version of the folktale also reaffirms the Chinese belief that rats and cats are adversaries.

GUIDE TO THE CHINESE ZODIACS

鼠 : Organized, Sensitive, and Successful.

Ox 牛 : Hard Working, Responsible, and Patient.

Tiger 虎 : Independent, Persistent, and Assertive.

Rabbit 兔 : Gentle, Intelligent, and Polite.

Dragon 龍 : Ambitious, Adventurous, and Caring.

Snake 蛇 : Devoted, Enthusiastic, and Fierce.

Horse 馬 : Determined, Energetic, and Positive.

Goat 羊 : Persuasive, Passionate, and Relentless.

Monkey 猴 : Curious, Robust, and Lively.

Rooster 雞 : Creative, Talented, and Empathetic.

Dog 狗 : Quiet, Loyal, and Cautious.

Pig 豬 : Kind, Logical, and Resourceful.

Rat

WHICH ZODIAC ARE YOU?

Image Source: Quora

The Bird

By Nathan Williams Freshman: Criminology Frigid silence paints the sky gray.

The wind stings on the crawl towards life.

The wall keeps getting higher and higher and yet, the bird sings The bird weathers storms, she shivers in the winter breee.

Silent in the face of leafless trees and fruitless flights and yet, spring always comes The flower blooms, a burst of color in the midst of a grim reality.

My silence is interrupted the bird sings Moths of struggle and strife fade like a morning fog dissipating in the sun, triumphant resilience in natural melody.

The bird's winter is no more, my spring will come next;

FIRST FRIDAY A Walk Through Railroad Square's Monthly Festival

By Sasha Smith

The 40-degree weather didn’t stop dozens of FSU students and Tallahassee locals from participating in this February’s First Friday at Railroad Square Art District, where spraypainted murals and string lights decorated the cold, wet streets and small business owners advertised everything from ethnic foods to vintage clothing.

The Railroad Square Art District held one of its first First Fridays of 2022 on Feb. 4. The First Friday festivals held by the Railroad Square Art District occur every month on the first Friday of that month. These mini festivals typically entail plenty of permanently established small businesses and various vendors serving all kinds of food, clothing, and other commodities.

I feel like it was a very cool atmosphere and every single one of [the businesses] contributed to that,” freshman Sophie Winer said, reminiscing on the night. “The art was really cool too, and I feel like it really did kind of it fit very well with the vibe.”

The night of First Friday was a rainy and cold one, but plenty of students and locals expressed their positive attitude throughout the night by shop-hopping from small businesses like Curio, a modern-esque vintage shop, to art auction areas like 621 Gallery.

Other students, like freshman Haima Humeda,

“Yes, there it is! The wiggles guitar.

enjoyed specific nostalgic elements of certain

Yes. I literally loved that toy,” she

businesses, like The Other Side Vintage thrift

said excitedly.

store. Humeda recalled visiting the store as “a trip down history.”

Winer found a similar materialistic bond when visiting The Other Side

"I didn't buy anything, but I loved browsing,”

Vintage, explaining that the store

Humeda said, giggling. “I saw a lot of things

“was really, really cool, because… it

from my childhood, which is really cool. There

just had something for everyone, and

was a game that literally– Oh my god– I wanted

it had things that I didn't even think I

to buy it so bad and I was like, ‘Well what am I

would be interested in until I saw it.”

gonna do with this?’ It was like a guitar… like it was a toy I used to play with when I was a kid.”

Humeda delved deeper into the nostalgia that the Tallahassee thrift shop had brought out in her. “I think my cousins brought it from [the U.S.] to Syria,” Humeda said, referring to the country where she was born and raised, as she pulled out her phone to search for an image of the guitar.

Winer’s eyes lit up as she remembered a

Winer could also relate to the care-free

book she found among the old postcards

atmosphere of the art district, detailing

and fine china. “It had a book about

the sense of community she felt in an

psychic stuff that I really liked,” she

area she hadn’t previously explored.

explained. “You can just go small or big with that. But it was really, really cool to

It definitely felt like a community there,

see.”

which I liked,” Winer said. “It [did] just feel like an escape from campus, which

Another honors student, freshman Allison

is nice. It's just very inviting. I feel like it

Sartorelli, recalled the night being “one of

reminds me of my childhood in a lot of

my favorite nights ever.” Railroad Square’s

ways, because it was just fun. I just felt

plethora of activities and spectacles, from

like a little kid.”

the local art displays to the indoor pop-up shops, had Sartorelli explaining that “there

Winer took a long pause reflecting on

were so many stops before we got where

the ways in which Railroad Square

we even needed to go because there was

brought up feelings of nostalgia.

just so much to do.”

Sartorelli and her friends walked from various galleries to the food trucks hitched out on a narrow strip of grass, ending the night with a styrofoam take-out tray from Lugo’s Burrito food truck.

“My favorite part was hanging with my girlies,” Sartorelli lightly gigglesd. “Eating

“People go to really big lengths to make things aesthetic for kids, but not adults. Like everything's very practical about adults,” Winer said. “And it was just very much so about the experience of it. It fell like a carnival.”

was really fun… they just have really good food there. It didn’t feel like anyone was

Tallahassee’s art district does nothing if

judgey. All of the store owners were really

not provide a fun time for everyone,

nice and welcoming, and everyone was

combining aspects of the local culture

kind of just minding their own business,

with the history of Florida’s capitol,

having fun in their groups and it just felt

delivering a night every month where

fun… peaceful, but also fun at the same

Tallahassee’s residents, whether

time.”

temporary or not, can come together as a community.

ERIN MURPHY: MORE THAN JUST AN ATHLETE

By Sasha Smith

Junior beach volleyball player Erin

“When we would practice for indoor

Murphy starts her week off as any

volleyball, a lot of times we would go to

other honors student would.

the beach to play just because it was fun, and we liked being out there. Then

She wakes up at 7:30 am to lift with

we kind of started looking at beach

the Division 1 beach volleyball team

tournaments, because they just had a

for an hour. After that, she takes the

lot of them in our area, and we were

bus to her engineering classes off-

like, ‘Oh, this might be fun.’”

campus, typically with sandy feet and a Nook in her hand. When classes are

Murphy is a third-year player on FSU’s

finished for the day, she gets her

Division 1 beach volleyball team, but she

homework done before dinnertime,

didn’t start playing beach volleyball

because she’s “really unproductive at

until the summer after her sophomore

night.”

year of high school. Murphy and her cousin began entering multiple

(Now imagine my surprise when she

tournaments that summer, proving to be

called herself “unproductive.”)

successful and eventually garnering interest from FSU.

At any other point in the day or during the week, Murphy can be found

“We were both really tall, which I think

tutoring kids for SAT and ACT prep,

helped for our age,” Murphy said. “So

volunteering at a local homeless

we were really successful, had a great

shelter with her teammates, or

summer. It was the fall of my junior year,

conducting research on computer

and… we both got an offer from FSU.

engineering software. Regardless of

We want[ed] to go to school together,

her busy schedule, Murphy still

[and] we were really close; we’re

manages to grow and excel in her

roommates now and so it just kind of

volleyball skills, which she has been

worked out perfect.”

developing for years.

How It Started...

“I started playing indoor volleyball when I was in sixth grade, and I actually grew up like two minutes away from my cousin… and we both lived like five minutes from the beach,” Murphy said.

Although Murphy got into beach volleyball rather late compared to her

Conducting Research

teammates, she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her college beach volleyball career. Murphy remembers being “so excited” when FSU’s coach contacted her, describing it as “hitting the jackpot.”

Murphy conducts research every week on computer engineering software with the hopes of fine-tuning what she wants a graduate degree in. In fact, her and her colleagues have applied for several IDEA grants, which are stipends given to fund

“It was very exciting,” Murphy laughed

undergraduate research.

with relief. “[I] did not expect that at all.

It was shocking.”

“When COVID hit, [my colleagues and I] kind of realized that there weren't going to be many summer opportunities, because

Becoming a Scholar

everything was just in shambles,” Murphy said.

“So after my freshman year, we [applied for] an idea grant. Then, last year, we ended up

Much to Murphy’s surprise, getting onto the beach volleyball team wasn’t the only

having three conference proceedings that we published.”

incentive to attend FSU. At the end of her senior year, Murphy was named a finalist for FSU’s Presidential Scholarship, and ended up receiving the title of Presidential Scholar later on.

Afterwards, Murphy and her team decided to expand their research group and kickstart a research center of their own called MLab, where around 10 undergraduates are now working on machine learning research.

“I felt like I picked FSU all over again,” Murphy said. “I knew FSU was an incredible school for beach volleyball, but I really had no idea what resources there were on the academic side. I remember being in my… speech class and I… [had] been waiting for the [scholarship] acceptance [email] to come through. I saw the email, and I was just so excited. I think I screamed or something.”

Aside from being a part of the scholarship program, Murphy undoubtedly proves herself academically over and over, and it’s evident in her extracurriculars.

Through her computer engineering research, Murphy found a way to tie what she loves to study into the sport she loves to play.

“A teammate and I decided we [wanted

“As far as how I pictured my experience to go,

to] apply for an IDEA grant to look at a

a lot of things have made it a lot more

type of software [that analyzes] pose

challenging than I expected,” Murphy said. “I

estimation,” Murphy said. “[It’s used] a lot

was in a pretty negative headspace going into

with like dancers and even baseball

winter break because I had missed most of the

[players], with their swings and stuff, that

fall, [and] I knew I was going to have some

measures where all of your joints are

schedule conflicts. So, I wasn't going to get

moving, and how fast they move, and it

my full amount of practice every week in the

can track it through video; so we wanted

spring.”

to apply those algorithms to beach volleyball.”

“My volleyball felt like, really, the worst it's been in years just because I was wrecked,”

Murphy has intentions to continue this

Murphy admitted. “So coming back physically

research in conjunction with her volleyball

was such a challenge… [and] it was hard to

practices and upcoming season.

see that progress at first.”

Aside from that, Murphy also tutors “once

Even though physical health got the best of

or twice a week,” and has recently picked

Murphy during the fall, she was still able to see

up her hobby of reading again.

a silver lining. Since coming back, Murphy has felt all the more grateful for her current

I started reading a lot because that was

physical health and admitted to taking it for

always my thing; I read all the time,”

granted before.

Murphy said as she excitedly gestured. “My goal was to just read a book every two

“The biggest thing I've noticed from being like

weeks this year… I actually wiped all my

sick every day and being so exhausted [is]...

social media… and I just read for all of

when you're sick, you don't remember what it's

[winter] break. I think that really helped my

like to be healthy,” Murphy said. “And then you

mindset going into this year.”

get healthy. So now, to wake up and have a ton of energy and not have to take a threehour nap in the afternoon to get through my

ENDURING OBSTACLES

day… it's so amazing. It's energizing, and to be in the gym and actually feel like I'm getting

Murphy explained that the semester prior

stronger instead of weaker every time I work

to winter break had been a tough one,

out… it's just honestly the greatest feeling.”

both academically and in regards to her sport. In the fall, Murphy had gotten mono,

Murphy has felt “a lot more excited” about this

which had been one of many illnesses

upcoming season than her previous three

going around campus, and it ended up

years, and she thinks “it's reflected in [her]

pulling her out of practices and

volleyball” playing.

conditioning for two months.

“I feel like I'm improving,” Murphy said. “I'm super excited to see how our team does this year, because [there’s] a lot of depth to the team. There are a lot of really great players, and I'm just excited to contribute to that. It's like no pressure at this point because I am just working on coming back, but it's also a lot of excitement because… it was kind of like a chance to restart.”

The team’s skills are fairly evenly spread out, so assigning pairs may prove to be a challenge to the coaches, according to Murphy.

“I also think part of it that can be challenging is just a lot of the people coming into the program are… some of the best people in the country at their sport. So there are definitely days where it can feel really dejecting, because even though you're great at your sport, there's people on the team who are so much better. It's definitely a challenge to always be playing against people who are challenging you. And sometimes that's awesome.”

Murphy describes playing against or with other skilled players as a “mental struggle” sometimes. However, she likes to combat any

Murphy’s morale and personality exemplify

negative mindset by reminding herself that

nothing if not someone who knows how to

she’s improving [and] things are going well.”

bounce back. Through her experiences, she has gotten all the more grateful for,

“It can definitely be, just in terms of sport, to

not only her health but also her team and

play against people who are at that level is

coaches who have been there to support

incredibly challenging, but it's also fun,” Murphy

her through it all.

said. “There's not a lot of room for error, but you start to learn to make [fewer] errors and

“I honestly wouldn't change anything. It’s

it's a cool process.”

an incredible team,” Murphy said. “It's so fun to just go practice [and]... our

While a good amount of college athletes aim

coaches are amazing. It's an incredible

to play and compete in the big leagues on

community. It brings a lot of good, [and] a

professional teams, Murphy revealed that her

great schedule to my life as well, which I

“goal was never really to play professionally

really appreciate about it.”

after college.”

This year’s team is full of players who

“My goal was to get recruited and to play in

Murphy describes as “very well-rounded”

college,” Murphy said. “So now, I've

and “fired up.”

accomplished that and all of this is just a really cool experience."

" I just think of all my friends I know who

Murphy also felt as though she was “timid in the

just play beach for fun on the weekends at

fall” due to the time she had to take off while

home and have regular adult jobs, and

sick. However, she set another goal to “take

they would literally kill for the experience

more risks” while playing in order to redevelop

to have all the support and the athletic

her confidence and start “having more of a

trainers and the dietitians and the

presence… on the court.”

coaches and the gear and all the really cool stuff that comes with it.”

The team dynamic this year is, according to Murphy, different from what it was last year because there was more COVID restrictions

NEW GOALS FOR THE NEW SEASON To take advantage of the new season and good health, Murphy set several personal goals for herself both on and off the court. Working on her work-life balance and providing more time for herself to pursue different passions while also improving on her volleyball skills remained the theme of her goals.

and online classes. This atmosphere and unexpected situation dampened the morale and energy of the team.

“I think [COVID] really took a toll on the team.

Like during season, people just seemed a little on edge. People weren't as excited as they normally are,” Murphy said. “I think morale was at a low last season, and compared to [now], it's like night and day. I think people are really excited. It feels like a fresh start. It feels kinda like the energy that the program had when I first came in. There was kind of a lull there, but I

“I’ve definitely set a lot of goals,” Murphy

think we're back, which is good.”

released a sigh and a laugh. “I felt a lack of confidence playing in the fall, mostly because of the time I had been out. So I think my [number one] goal was… to come back to where I was at the beginning of the fall and get better from there.”

Now that morale and energy for the team is up, Murphy has expressed her excitement towards achieving her new personal goals and individually improve alongside her team coming into this new season with new beginnings.

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Editor-in-Chief: Callista Payne

Content:

Jamie Guterman Sasha Smith Max Mitchell Alexis Dorman