March 27, 2009
Samantha Crowder is a middle blocker on the Lady Techster volleyball team. In this week's installment of "Five Minutes with a Student-Athlete," we interviewed the cooking aficionado and learned quite a bit about her personality and a pink bunny costume.
LATechSports.com: Where are you from?
Crowder: I am from a small town 30 minutes outside of San Antonio, Texas called Floresville.
LATechSports.com: Do you have a nickname?
Crowder: Over my life, I have had every single nickname that could possibly be derived from Samantha. Here are some to name a few: Sam, Sammy, Sam Spade, Sambo, Samuel, Slammer, Slim, Shorty (ironic, but lasted all through middle school), Samsonite, Sam-a-lam, etc.
LATechSports.com: What are you majoring in?
Crowder: I am majoring in agricultural business with a minor in landscape and turfs.
LATechSports.com: What do you enjoy the most about Tech?
Crowder: Definitely the people. That was the major thing that drew me here initially. I don't know if it is the southern charm, but the people here are just sweet and friendly.
LATechSports.com: What are your plans after college?
Crowder: I plan on going to grad school to earn a master's degree in landscape architecture. After I finish my schooling, I hope to work for a design firm and create beautiful outdoor spaces.
LATechSports.com: Who inspires you and why?
Crowder: I find myself inspired by everyone I have met. Each person whether they have been a pleasant or negative influence has inspired me in some way or another.
LATechSports.com: What was your first job?
Crowder: My first job, aside from mowing my grandpa's lawn over the summer, was working at a tanning salon/spa. The pay was terrible, but I got all the free manicures/pedicures and tanning I wanted.
LATechSports.com: What are your hobbies?
Crowder: My hobbies are Facebooking, trying new things in the kitchen, baking and watching other sporting events around campus.
LATechSports.com: What is your favorite part of a road trip?
Crowder: My favorite part of a road trip is all the yummy places we get to eat. I never really eat out in Ruston so eating food that is not boiled or has not been microwaved in less than two minutes is a real treat.
LATechSports.com: When did you start playing your sport and why?
Crowder: I started playing volleyball in fifth grade with a team through my church. We had just moved that year so my mom made me play to make some friends, get some exercise and stop bugging her.
LATechSports.com: What is your all-time favorite sports moment?
Crowder: My all time favorite sports moment was actually not in volleyball, but in track my junior year of high school. I came from behind to win the 400-meter race and took first place in the high jump.
LATechSports.com: What song or artist do you listen to before a game?
Crowder: I listen to a different artist every time, but their songs have to contain a little bit of edge, a fast beat and something I can break out my goofy dance moves to.
LATechSports.com: Who do you contribute your success to in your sport?
Crowder: My junior varsity coach Hillary Moehrig and my 17's club coach Todd definitely developed my skills. But I also have to give a lot of credit to my high school track and head women's sports coordinator, Coach Mac. He developed me as an all-around athlete and made me a competitor.
LATechSports.com: If you could play in the Olympics for a particular country, who would it be?
Crowder: I would definitely have to say the USA. I could not imagine wearing anything else but red, white, and blue.
LATechSports.com: Did you choose your jersey number for a particular reason?
Crowder: I was always number 25 in high school, but in volleyball the number is considered a large number and was not a choice so I inherited 13.
LATechSports.com: Would you ever do something extreme or adventurous?
Crowder: Of course I would. I may be super scared while I am doing it, but I would definitely give it a shot. Rock climbing is something I like to do.
LATechSports.com: Can you impersonate someone?
Crowder: Whether or not I can or I can't, it is a known fact that I will try. I have been known to sing and sound like the older version of Cinderella.
LATechSports.com: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Crowder: Probably Southern California, like around San Diego. Somewhere where it never really gets cold and the sun is always shining.
LATechSports.com: What is your favorite movie?
Crowder: This sounds corny but my all-time favorite movie is Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
LATechSports.com: What is your favorite food?
Crowder: Oh my goodness, there is no way I can answer that. But if I had to generalize, anything that is deep fried, covered with cheese or is some form of cake.
LATechSports.com: What was the strangest costume you wore for Halloween?
Crowder: I never had any really cool costumes for Halloween. But the worst one I wore of all-time was a giant pink bunny costume.
LATechSports.com: If you had the opportunity to live your life to the fullest for only one day, what would you do?
Crowder: I would take all my closest friends and family, go to an exotic beach, relax, play in the water, eat delicious food and just enjoy the day with the people I love the most.
LATechSports.com: If you were stranded on a beach, what five things would you need to survive?
Crowder: Sun screen, a tropical tree house, a fresh water source, some sort of companion, preferably a handsome, witty and smart beach man, but a mild mannered monkey would suffice, and some sort of hatchet device. If I have learned anything from my fifth grade English class and Tom Hank's "Cast Away," you can survive a very long time with a sharp metal object.
