ATHLETE PROFILE: Andy Douglass

The Carnegie Mellon men’s swimming and diving team defeated Duquesne and Clarion universities on Saturday at a University of Pittsburgh meet. The team has had a successful 2008 season and will compete in the University Athletic Association Championships Feb. 20. The Tartan interviewed Andy Douglass, a captain of the Tartan swim team, on what it’s like to be a scholar athlete at Carnegie Mellon and his thoughts on the conclusion of his collegiate athletic career.

The Tartan: When did you first start swimming?
Douglass: I started swimming on a team in seventh grade. I used to play soccer, and since I was always swimming in the summer at the pool, I thought I would try something new.

T: Do you have any memorable stories since being on the swim team?
D: Shaving my initials into the hair of a freshman last year. Just generally joking around with the coaches is always fun, too.

T: What are your emotions concerning the closing of the swimming season?
D: I would say sad, in the sense that I’ll miss the team since it’s 35 guys that I hang out with all the time. The end of the season will give me a chance to try other sports though, too.

T: As a senior, what do you think you have learned over the past four years that you can pass off to underclassmen?
D: I would say to have fun with being an athlete. Swimming is the most fun thing I have done while here at CMU.

T: Do you feel that participating in a sport has helped you manage schoolwork?
D: Yes, I feel that swimming has been a great release from school. There are those two hours every day for practice where you don’t think about classes, and then you feel refreshed and ready to work.

T: Do you consider yourself more a scholar athlete or an athlete scholar?
D: Scholar athlete.

T: If you could change something about Carnegie Mellon as a student athlete, what would it be?
D: My standard answer has always been that the pool doesn’t have any spectator seating, but that will be changing this summer.

T: How did you choose your major?
D: Business is something that allows you to have a lot of options for a job, and I’ve always been interested in history.

T: What do you plan on doing after you graduate?
D: I have a job with PNC as a foreign exchange trader. I’ll be working from here in Pittsburgh but might travel to Philadelphia a little.

T: Are you in any clubs or other organizations on campus?
D: I have been a member of SAAC [Student Athletic Advisory Committee] for the past three years, and I [was] the BOC [Business Opportunities Confence] co-chair [last] year. I’ve also been on the President’s Student Advisory Council.

T: What’s your favorite book, and why? D: The Polar Express. I don’t really like any of the books I’ve read in college as much as this classic.

T: What is it like having a sibling on the same campus?
D: I have a twin brother that goes to Brevard College. My younger sister Cary is a sophomore at CMU. I like that I am able to inspire her and have the chance to guide her, because she is at times lost.

T: Will you watch the Olympics this summer? Which swimmers will you root for?
D: Yes. I’ll be watching Michael Phelps, to see if he will be able to break Mark Spitz’s record.

Douglass and his teammates will host a time trial event Saturday, Feb. 9 before heading to the University Athletic Association Championships.