Jayhawk Spotlight: Mike Rivera

Yo! Matt Baysinger here with a few updates.

1. Though there were no submissions for most awful mugshot in the history of sports, it should be noted that the faux hawk will no longer grace the pages of kuathletics.com. It has since been replaced by my photo from my junior year. How's that for going retro? If the faux hawk photo was Bangkok Dangerous, then the old photo is probably closer to the likes of Wicker Man.

2. The air conditioning has not been functioning properly in my office for a few days. By not functioning, of course, I mean that I am sweating right now and the ceiling lights feel like the summer sun. Things could be worse though, atleast I am not this guy.

3. Last week was Spring Break, which means that I sat in my office and had the chance to look outside as long as Casey Wright left her door open. But more importantly, the downtime has proved to be the mother of ingenuity. While this blog is awesome, it occured to us that we don't have to stop with just a blog. From this point forward, we will not only be blogging, but we will also be vlogging. Because many of our student-athletes were busy frolicking on beaches and mountains, we brought in Mike Rivera - also known as King Leonidas in cleats. Mike recently worked out at the KU Pro Day, and will soon be busting faces in the NFL. He gives a glimpse into Pro Day antics, as well as some hilarious stories from his playing time at KU.


So without further ado, turn off your brain and turn up your speakers. This is the Hawk Talk Video Vault.

Hawk Talk: Joy Bunting, Swimming and Diving

Parents are Doug and Sherry Bunting... Sister, Tonya, played tennis at the University of Northern Colorado... A business major... Hopes to pursue a career in international business to travel the world.

So you have a sugar glider… why?

I don’t know. Five years ago this guy had one at the pet store and he was telling my dad and I about it and I really liked it… it’s like a squirrel - it’s pretty cool to have a squirrel, right? So I researched it and bought one, Phoebe, and then I bought Phelix so I had a male and female. I bred them and got 4 or 5 litters.

Hypothetically, if Phelix and Phoebe were to have had octuplets, what would their names be?

Well, I would stick with the PH theme. Phelip, Phelice, Phannie Phickle, Pheces, Phog, Phancy, Phabulous… those are pretty good. Though I don’t think Pheces will like his name, he is going to be the runt of the bunch.

How does it feel to be a Jayrock champion

It feels fantastic. It was pretty amazing to hear them say ‘swimming and diving’. The trophy is in our locker room – right next to the Jayhawk that is made out of tires. We got it at a team scavenger hunt.

What was it like to win after having some really hard years of not getting second?

Well I am only a sophomore, but I know the history. It was an amazing accomplishment, though the track geniuses of the past are gone. I didn’t see the track performance this year, we were back stage. I heard theirs was good, but obviously ours was better.

So you are from Greeley Colorado. Can you talk about the smell of Greeley for a little bit?

The smell of Greeley, my mom would say is a fresh smell – which I guess it kind of is. Dead cattle and manure is pretty fresh. But, it is not that bad sometimes, but most of the time it is pretty rank.

On a scale of Nicolas Cage movies, let’s say that Lawrence smells like Con-air. What does Greeley smell like?

Well. It smells like poop. Cow poop. Is that a Nicolas Cage movie?

What was it like to transition from club swimming to college swimming?

It was a huge jump to go from club to college swimming. College is on a whole different level, there is a lot of new stuff and a lot better competition.

What has been the highlight?

Big 12’s last week. We all swam really fast and we were really motivated. It is fun to be a part of swimming right now because the sport is getting so fast. It is really amazing.

Is it true that your parents own an ice cream shop?

Well, my grandparents started an ice cream business. Well, not an actual business, we travel to rodeos and stuff like the Greeley stampede. It is called Yoder’s homemade ice cream. My grandpa’s last name is Yoder, it is an Amish recipe. We have a trailer that he bought. It is a pretty cool trailer, not what you think of when you think of fairs. It is not carnie looking, it is legit! So my brother, my two cousins and I work inside of it. My grandpa bought a hit and miss john deer motor, it kicks, so when it gets going it is like put-put-put-put-POP! They used to use it back on farms to pull up water from the ground for the cattle, but we use it to make ice cream. It is on a pulley system and it turns the five gallon bucket that is surrounded another bucket of ice and salt. So that’s what I do when I go home, I make homemade ice cream! So if you come to the stampede, I’ll make you some! It’s the best ice cream, I am going to try to make it here with an ice cream maker sometime soon.

Swimming and diving has won the Jayhawk Champs competition for three years in a row. It has usually been between men’s basketball, swimming, football, and volleyball. This year, volleyball is ahead of you right now. Is swimming and diving going to step up down the stretch to make it four in a row?

We’re going to pull it out in the end. We have some stuff up our sleeve that we have already talked about. I don’t know what volleyball has going on, but we are ready to take it again. Four time champs.

You talked about how fast everyone is swimming right now. On that note, would you rather have your skin be made out of a Speedo LZR suit, or be able to breathe under water and have gills on your neck.

Breathe under water. Then you wouldn’t have to wear a scuba tank to go scuba diving.

But you would have gills on your neck.

It would be alright. I already have a scar that kind of looks like gills. I could always wear a scarf to cover them up. Or I could sport them, I mean I would have gills and no one else would!

Hawk Talk: Julia Guard, Rowing

Parents are Kimberly and Danny Anderson and Roger Guard... Stepfather, Danny, is Vice Provost of Academic affairs at the University of Kansas... Majoring in Geography and Business.

You are a Geography major. Can you find Djibouti?

Absolutely. Africa, on the horn!

Why Geography?

Well I usually tell people that I like to travel and that geography is interesting. Really thought, I took a bunch of business classes and hated them, so I wanted to get in something easier. I really like it though so I am happy with my major.

The new boathouse. What do you think?

We just want to put out a huge thank you to the student body because it was their vote that helped make it a reality by voting for it and it wouldn't be possible without all of our fellow Jayhawks! As far as the change that's happened, the practices are a lot harder. But it will only make us better. Also the laundry service is awesome. And it really helps with recruiting.

Describe your love for grape nuts and honey bunches of oats.

It all started earlier this year when my roommate Lauren turned me on to grapenuts. I have a quickly growing obsession of cereal mixed with yogurt. I probably have three or four bowls a day. Sometimes I’ve been known to do two or three at a time - definitely in the morning, definitely at night. This week we have been eating at the burge, and it has done the trick, but usually I do a few a day.

I also understand that you love chai tea latte’s?

I have probably had a few hundred this semester. I get them everywhere – it is low calorie, and I love hot drinks in the winter. It is the best of both words. Hot chocolate makes me feel guilty, but there is no guilt in the chai tea latte. They are close to a five-spot each time – but I save money with all the cereal I eat!

Are you jealous of the Dundie Award on this desk?

Yes, I am a huge office fan! I got hooked this year, I have been catching up ever since. I have all the dvd’s. It all started with my crush on John Krasinski – the guy who plays Jim. He’s a hottie. His love for Pam is just touching. Paired with Michael Scott’s character, it all just kills me. I love dry humor. The office is definitely a top notch show

If you worked at Dundler Mifflin, what department would you work in?

Sales. I would want to get in on the pranks and show Jim whats up - even though his pranks are unbelievable.

How would you describe Michael’s leadership style?

He is a leader unlike any other I have ever met. But if he ran a business school, I wouldn’t join. It would be entertaining, but I wouldn’t learn anything. He is such a good guy deep down, but he is such an idiot.

Who would win a fight between Andy and Dwight?

It would be the most pathetic fight ever. Though they did fight in the parking lot when andy ran him over with his car. I think Dwight would win because he has hidden weapons all over the office that he could use at will. It would be a fun fight.

Starboard or port – which is better?

Starboard! That’s what I row. I don’t know that I really think it is better – it is just what I have to do. When you are backwards on the boat, I row to the left. My left – coxswain’s right.

What is catching a crab?

When you don’t pull through your oar fast enough or not squared right. It catches wrong in the water and flips the oar upsidown. It makes the whole boat rear off to the side and the whole boat has to basically start over - teammates would not be happy. It has never happened to me in a race, only in practice. It is the worst thing ever!

What does the rowing team do to get pumped before a race?

Everyone is actually really quiet and focused. We just get ready, get stretched, game face on. After every race we sing the alma mater.

Tell us something about your teammates?

Brooke and Carrie like to think of themselves as comedians, but that is up for debate. Nobody is super flashy with their talents, though I am pretty amazing with handstands.

So I hear you went for a swim in the Kaw river?

Oh man, This year, on a normal day of practice I was sitting bow. One of the coxswains ran us into an intake – a giant cement block. She didn’t see it – Sarah Best. The boat got crunched. There was no warning. In the middle of a stroke, my feet got ripped out of my shoes and I did a backflip out of the river. There was nothing stopping me. I was completely n shock, coach Rob had to pull me into the launch. I was shocked but we were all laughing about it 15 minutes later.

Raisins - box or bag?

Bag, you get more. I probably have 1000 calories of raisins a day. I can eat them constantly. They are amazing. I also eat dried pineapple. I tried craisins once, but they don’t do it for me, they have too much of a punch.

Would you rather spend one week locked in a room with Angela Martin, or go on a cross country roadtrip with Kelly Kapur?

Well Angela has a lot of cats. My heart tells me I would go with Kelly for the conversation, but I think I would choose Angela because she reminds me of my roommate Lauren and I am so used to that anyway.

Hawk Talk: Monica Dolinsky, Soccer

Personal: Captain of six-time state championship club team Carmel Cyclones ... Cyclones won the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championship in the U-19 Division ... Led the Cyclones to the Regional semifinals in 2003 and 2004 ... Coached by Gene Lindley ... Played on the Indiana State ODP team and Regional Team from 2000-04. Parents are John and Diane Dolinsky ... Has two siblings, Paul and Kris ... Majoring in architectural interior design.

Walk us through the experience of winning U-19 Nationals with the Carmel United Cyclones.

That was probably one of the best soccer memories I have had so far. We went to regionals seven times. But when I was 18, we won Regionals and Nationals in Frisco, Texas. It was pretty exciting, it all happened so fast. Emily Cressy was there at regionals as well, she won golden boot for her age group.

What was your favorite birthday party ever?

I love food, and I get to pick dinner for my birthday.

So if your birthday was tomorrow, what would you have?

I’d have some steak and seafood – lobster, shrimp, crab, mashed potatoes, corn, veggies, green beans. I like all food. For dessert, I’d have cheesecake with strawberries on top.

Tell us about your brothers Paul and Kris.

Once, my brother Paul got the three stripes shaved in the side of his head. I think that is pretty embarrassing, I wish I had a picture. That was probably in 1994.

What does the name Beth West mean to you?

Oh man. I didn’t think it was a big deal. They wrote about it in the paper. I didn’t even notice her on the field.

Apparently, you punched her!

Yeah, apparently things went down. But I don’t remember trying to hit her. I am not an aggressive person.

So if Beth West was here with us, would you apologize?

Yeah! I don’t mean to hurt people. I don’t mean to be mean!

Where was the College Football National championship game your freshmen year? Oh man. It was on ESPN and I was trying to figure out where it was being played. I asked my little brother and he texted me that it was in ‘Glendale, Ariz’, so I told everyone that it was being played out of the country, in Ariz. Everyone still makes fun of me for it.

So when the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke out, did you ever consider changing your name?

Nobody has ever asked me that. That’s so great! I used to want to make a press release when I was in 4th grade. I used to get made fun of, but I wanted to make sure people knew it wasn’t me. At first I thought it was cool, like I was on the news or something. But then I understood what actually went down and didn’t want to anymore.

Describe your love for the Olive Garden.

Oh man, the Olive Garden. We went yesterday, all the way to Topeka and back. Whoever is on their marketing team is awesome. The commercials… well, they stopped serving the commercial special on Sunday. It was supposed to be shrimp pasta with creamy garlic sauce. I was so excited to go, but then I was so upset. I told the waitress I was rattled, I didn’t know what to order for the longest time so I got ravioli and breadsticks. Oh, the breadsticks!

Would you rather wear sweats every day for the rest of your life, or never be able to wear sweats again.

Wait, what!? Oh my gosh. This puts me in a pickle. I’d have to go with never… oh man… I guess never wear them again. Who told you I wear sweatpants everyday!? I am torn, but I couldn’t wear sweats to my wedding. Final answer.

Worth the Wait

Well, Ladies and Gents, the day you have all been waiting for is finally here. No, they aren't holding a no-holds-barred cage match pitting brothers Kevin Arnold of The Wonder Years and Corey Matthews of Boy Meets World, but something nearly as epic. Yes, I am talking about my first post on Jayhawk Chalk Talk.

Let me first apologize for taking so long to make my first entry, but as you know, anything worth having is worth waiting for. Now, people have asked me, "Paul, how do create the magic that just comes spilling out of your fingers into the computer screen and finally into my face?" It is hard for me to quantify my art, much like it is difficult to explain exactly how Matt got his hair to do what it did in his head shot. If I had to say, however, I would say my posts are a mixture of genius, strong coffee, and techno music, with just a dash of whatever it is that makes White Castle so awesome.

I have also been able to rest soundly at night knowing that the world is in safe hands. Matthew Baysinger and Bradley Thorson are highly competent bloggers (or is it bloggists?) with whom I would trust my life in a game of World of Warcraft or Halo. They, along with yours truly, are just a free sample of the deliciousness that is KU Athletics. We are a multi-talented and extremely good looking bunch, us Jayhawks. When we aren't winning bowl games or cutting down nets, we enjoy many pasttimes such as reading, knitting, or settling down in our Snuggies for a quiet movie night at home. One of my favorite hobbies is playing music. In fact, 100% of my classes this semester are music classes. Granted, I am only taking one class and it is a beginners class for piano, but you get the point.

So, naturally, being a piano player that on a scale of Super Bowl Quarterbacks is somewhere around a Trent Dilfer, I decided to make my debut performance a couple of weeks back at the Jazzhaus down on Mass St.(A couple of ex-Jayhawk footballers have a band and so graciously let myself and my roommate Chris Gorney (who will likely make many more appearances on this blog for his antics, which are also simply known as "Gorneys") play with them. I, of course, was on keyboard and Chris played the djembe (a hand drum) while Micah Brown and Jeff Foster melted faces up front on guitar/vocals. I came in after they played a couple of songs (probably so that the crowd could mentally and emotionally prepare themselves for what was about to happen). We laid down a sweet rendition of The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done" as well as a shortened version of "Come Sail Away" of Styx fame. After the final song, the crowd, those of them that still had the strength to walk, carried us down the street declaring that no musicians should ever be allowed to play live music in Lawrence again because they had just heard perfection and it is the last beautiful sound that should resonate through the streets of our fair city... or something like that, I can't remember.

Yes, my friends, there is a lot to know about us. Sometimes you live, work, and learn right next to people and all it takes is reaching out to them to find they are just extraordinary people. Like that time I lost a baseball signed by Babe Ruth in my neighbor's yard and his dog took it and I spent all summer trying to get it back that culminated with the dog chasing my friend Benny around the neighborhood only to find that my neighbor actually played with Ruth and had a baseball signed by the whole Yankee team. So let that be a lesson to you, Chalk Talk fans, and until next time... stay sweet. Rock Chalk.

Paul "Got His Mouth Lookin' Something Like a Disco Ball" Hefferon

Hawk Talk: Danielle McCray, Women's Basketball

Daughter of Ellareese Murray and Steven McCray ... Born in Boynton Beach, Fla. ... Has a brother, Brandon Willingham ... Majoring in Communication Studies ... Intends to pursue a career as a computer programmer and has ambitions of playing in the WNBA.

If you had to be one superhero, who would it be?

Hancock. I could just break through everything and tell people, “If you say my name one more time I’m gonna kill you!”

When you’re dominating, do you feel bad for the person guarding you?

That’s a good question! Not always, just because they are gonna come down and try to score on me, so I don’t always feel bad for them. Sometimes though, it’s just like wow, that coach is about to be really mad at her!

Talk about playing basketball in high school…

High school was really fun. I played against Melissa Grieb, we were school rivals. There were a lot of fans in high school and some incredible moments. We made it to state a few times. We never went very far but it was a fun time.

You also competed in High School Track.

Yeah, I was in triple jump, shot put, and discus. At one point I was 5th in the nation in the shot. I really loved it. It was fun because I would go to the shot put from the triple jump. There would be some big girls with their shorts and all that. Then I would show up in my sprinter shorts and win. It was awesome to jump around from event to event; I really loved track and field.

When you were playing against Melissa Grieb, if she would have charged you with steam coming out of her ears, what would you have done to stop her?

I think I would get the wheels on my feet and run away.

So were you recruited for track and field?

Yes, Coach Redwine still asks me if I want to do it for my fifth year, but I don’t think I’ll be here for five years. I want to play in the WNBA and possibly overseas. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll find a career in business – somewhere where I can dress up every day!

If you had to punch an animal in the face to get a quintuple-double, would you do it?

Yes. Absolutely.

What animal would you punch?

It would be a snake. I hate snakes.

So you just had a career high. When are you going to break your new career high of 35 points?

It's gonna be tough because of how teams are guarding me now. But it could be tomorrow, it could be in the tournament. Time will tell.

Describe what it's like to be on fire?

When the energy is there and the fans are in it, it feels good to come off screens and take shots like practice. It is amazing.

What do you love most about KU?

The people, traditions and sports are great. Everyone is really friendly.

What does the KU women’s basketball do to prepare for a game?

Normally we dance. We have been quoting Superbad a lot lately, too, but mainly we all just do stupid dances.

Who is the worst dancer?

It has to be Krysten Boogard. She’s bad! Rebecca Feickert kinda has some groove, but it is like a slow motion groove.

Who is the best?

I am, of course. LaChelda too, and Kelly. She has her own style.

Would you rather have KU Women’s basketball win the national championship, but you have to sleep on a bed of snakes, or…

Bed of snakes. I’d make the sacrifice for the championship. It would be worth it. I’d sacrifice all the days and live with it!

Effectively Communicating Opinions

We've made it! 500 views, that means we are officially big time... I think. Anyway, we've left you in a drought for quite some time. Here's an original post so colors of the world, spice up your life, every boy and every girl, spice up your life, people of the world, spice up your life, aah!

This is a little trick my roommates and I discovered. It is especially effective in large groups where some people involved in the conversation don't understand exactly how you feel about an issue. This technique I am about to share with you is revolutionary and a real hot topic in academia right now. It is applicable in almost any situation as long as you fully understand and have adequately practiced the technique. You will be amazed at the results, in fact my roommates and I are currently in discussions with Billy Mays to sell a VHS demonstrating this on TV.

So, you've stayed with me and are ready. Well it's actually very simple. The trick is to ask somebody to rate something on a non-numeric scale. This may seem confusing, and at first even we struggled to grasp the true genius of this method but with time it is becoming generally accepted principle among our amigos (that's friends in Spanish by the way). Let me give you an example and then we will discuss the intricacies of this method that are essential for effective use.

"Wow Kyle, that is some hot salsa! What would you rate the hotness of that salsa on a scale of Nicholas Cage movies."

Now I must pause here and explain that Kyle will inevitably answer Gone in Sixty Seconds if it is in fact quite hot salsa or Ghost Rider if it is not hot salsa. On a scale of Nicholas Cage movies there is no in between for him. Another two notes on the subject: first, this is a demonstration of the in depth nature of such a technique. I mean that in using a Nicholas Cage movie scale I can completely understand Kyle's opinion on the situation. God forbid he referenced Next or The Weatherman because it would take a lot more opinion sampling to understand where he was coming from. Second, notice I did not use Paul Rudd movies this is because Paul Rudd is a graduate from KU and given his alliance with the University (mainly wearing a KU hat in Clueless) all of his movies are great and therefore the scale is meaningless.

So you've been given an example of this communication technique. Let's discuss the ins and outs of successfully communicating with your friends and strangers. The number one rule of thumb: try and use appropriate scales. An example of an inappropriate scale: Daewoo car models. You may mistakenly think that Daewoo models are a funny and incredibly clever scale. This belief is probably substantiated by your recent viewing of Pineapple Express when Red references his Daewoo Lanos as a murder weapon. Now we here at KU do not condone the use of illicit substances, violence or foul language but that movie had some funny lines. I mean James Franco's favorite civil engineer was Hannskarl Ban-del. Anyway, yes a Daewoo Lanos was referenced and it was funny but a distinct difference exists. The most important is that this was a single reference of a Daewoo model. To ask someone to recall and comparatively evaluate multiple Daewoo models is not only impossible it's also a cruel request. I am quite adept in my Daewoo knowledge (thanks Wikipedia - best source of information on the web) and can name quite a few: Espero, Leganza, Nubira, Prince and Royale among many others. Let's get back to our discussion of inappropriate scales though. Why, if this scale holds so much humor potential (if that is what your goal is) do I advise against it? Simply put, have you ever driven or rode in a Daewoo? Do you know anyone that ever owned a Daewoo? Do you know anyone that ever wanted to own a Daewoo? Exactly, point proven. Unfortunately this comparison scale adds nothing to the conversation because everyone knows Daewoo cars are substandard so the opportunity to rate something positively is lost. That being said, I must admit the prospect of Daewoo ownership is still immeasurably better than having to own "The Power Towel".


The reason this is only a rule of thumb is because I can think of two exceptions to this rule. 1 - if the purpose of using the scale is to point out how bad something is. For example, "on a scale of Daewoos, how horrible would it be to have to go to school in Missouri?" Of course the response would probably be the Daewoo Espero. 2 - if you are looking to trick your friend into making a poor rating which you can black mail him or her for free stuff. For example, "how fun is this party on a scale of Daewoos?" Now when they say something seemingly clever and truly out of line like the LeMans, you then respond with your rating: Geo Metro. AHA! Got 'em, your choice was not a Daewoo at all and much cooler and made in the USA. Here you use the advantage to heckle him or her for not being a patriot and request that he or she buy the next round of Vess Colas.

Here are some other rules to remember so as to not look foolish when using this technique. The best scales to use are common and relate to either childhood memories or have the opportunity for a really rare/obscure response. Examples could include on a scale of Thundercats or characters from the show Doug. Also a favorite of ours is breakfast cereals. This provides an almost endless amount of cereals and if somebody is really on their toes and wants to give a raving review of something they can always pull out Apple Cinnamon Rice Krispies (also known as Rice Bubbles in Australia) which were so sadly discontinued in the 1980s, well before I ever got to experience them so I could never use them.

Also remember that scales with many options allow for a lot of fun but also can lead to heavy bickering over which person really has the correct barometer over the issue. Scales with limited choices can lead to definitive responses but you must be careful not to fall victim to groupthink. To ask people to rate the awesomeness of the Snuggie on a scale of states starting with the letter I you are likely to get a lot of Illinois or Indiana responses and that's fantastic if people really feel that way, but they are probably forgetting Idaho (which is definitely how I feel on that subject) and so the results are skewed.

The first couple times you use this technique are probably going to be rough but persistence is key and in the end you'll find life is much better this way. Don't keep this to yourself, share it with the world. The best place to do this is in crowded (food and) beverage establishments where there is a high incidence of eavesdropping. Now naturally you are much more likely to run into resistance, but in the event that you find people open to the idea, you will undoubtedly greatly enjoy the experience.

Because I taught you this technique you must swear by one law. If you dare to rate anything on a scale of Athletic Directors only two options are available. If you would like to grade something as the best possible then you would respond Lew Perkins. On the other hand if you truly cannot stand the thing being rated then you would respond some other A.D. Easy enough to remember right, unless of course you forget that second dude's name, which I can completely understand because I just did.

I wish you the best of luck in utilizing this technique to improve your communication ability with all those you come into contact with. Here at the Bureau of Being Awesome, I mean the University of Kansas, we will continue pushing the envelope in all areas of academia. Until next time I bid you ado. Rock Chalk.

-Brad Thorson (foozbawl)

HAWK TALK - MELISSA GRIEB, VOLLEYBALL

Full name is Melissa Lynne Grieb ... Parents are Jeff and Mary Grieb ... Father played baseball at Wichita State ... Has two sisters, Stephanie and Rebekah ... Stephanie was an All-American volleyball player at Mid-America Nazarene ... Majoring in human biology.

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If you could be in High School Musical or Camp Rock, which would it be?

Oh boy. That is a really tough question, I have often thought about this. I’m gonna go High School Musical. Number one reason is because of Zac Efron of course. If I could choose one of the three, it would be three because Zac looks the best in that one.

Who would win in a fight: Joe Jonas or Zac Efron?
Are these all about them!? Zac would win because of his hair. It would go down in a gym with background music playing and a little dancing. Since Zac is a better dancer, he would dance circles around him and sing. Although Joe can play the tambourine so I don’t know... but Zac would definitely win.

I should win an Oscar for...
I should win an Oscar for being so good at Disney Sing it… way better than Katie and Paige!

What’s it like to be famous on YouTube?
It’s awesome. Lots of calls. People like Ellen and stuff trying to get me on the show... No, it is really fun though. We have had a lot of attention– Katie gets most of it because she played Gabriella – of course, pretty big deal – but we have had people on the street talk to us about it. I really felt like we could really get on shows. I thought it was a way bigger deal than it really was. I legitimately thought we could get on Ellen. Katie’s sister sent them an email and I thought about sending the tape. I want to be a celebrity so that I can be friends with other celebrities.

What fictional book character do you have the biggest crush on?
Oh Geez duh! I’m going to have to go with Edward Cullen, from Twilight. He’s a vampire. He likes blood. He’s really hot – the best looking man ever so the book says. Edward would even beat Zac Efron in a fight. It would be in a dark field with the moon of course. Edward would bite Zac, even though he wouldn’t like his blood cause he doesn’t like fellas. Edward would definitely win because he doesn’t dance at all and would probably laugh at Zac Efron.

So be honest, are you an 13-year-old trapped in a 21-year-old body?
Yes. I have often thought about this as well. I don’t think I belong in college, I belong in High School. In a High school musical, of course. I wish everyday could be like a high school musical.

Do you love Lamp? Why or why not?
I love lamp, and I love making loud noises. I also love couch.

You’ve said that your dream job is to be a dentist. Why?
I wanted to be a doctor, cause I like how it sounds. I didn’t want any life and death situations, like a lot of blood. For a while I wanted to be an optometrist, but every optometrist I talk with says they would have rather been a dentist so I chose dentistry.

So are you saying that gingivitis is not a life and death situation?
Not with me being the dentist. I could fix it really easily – pull a couple teeth.

What are you most proud of?
Is this a serious question? Can I say our youtube video? I was proud that I didn’t mess up and Katie did. I was embarrassed but I am glad we got through it. It was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done. We wanted to do it on video but Matt Baysinger convinced us to do it live. But I think it added to the performance since it was live.

Would you rather have steam come out of your ears when you get angry or have your nose change colors with your mood?
Steam. My mood changes a lot so my nose would always be changing colors. But with the steam, people would only know when I was angry. It would just be cooler in general.