Q&A with Dr. Gary - Callan Swaim

Callan Swaim - Senior, Women's Volleyball DS, Business& Spanish double major

Q & A with Dr. Gary-10/23/15

Q: What is your most memorable sports moment at Witt?

A: My favorite Witt sports moment by far was the Regional finals volleyball game against Hope College last year. It was the first time during my 3 years here that we got to host the Regional tournament and we were not only excited by the fact that we got to host, but even the amount of energy and support campus was generating for us! Game time against Hope came and we had never seen so many fans in that arena in our lives. As we ran back out on to the court after halftime, the crowd seemed to have doubled- it was literally a sea of red- roaring with screams. Unfortunately we lost the match in 5 games, but even after the match had finished, all of the Witt fans stayed to watch us get our participation awards and screamed for us as if we had won.  Even after we had left the court and regained our composure to leave the locker room, about 100 of our friends and family waited outside the doors into the lobby and every player that walked out of those doors got a standing ovation. The next day of school, an overwhelming amount of people made it a point to come up to us and say how proud of us they were, which we will remember forever.      

Q: Why do you enjoy being a Wittenberg Tiger?

A: I enjoy being a Wittenberg Tiger because I am proud of the campus, the academic reputation and the athletic reputation of my university. The professor student relationships, the alum student relationships and the memories made at Witt are irreplaceable.

Q: What is your favorite place on campus (to hangout, socialize, etc.)?

A: I honestly can’t pinpoint one place that is my absolute favorite to hang out because it has changed almost every year, but one place that I have loved to go to since my freshman year is Commencement Hollow. Granted, it’s not the place that I go to socialize but it’s the place that I go when I want to take a break from homework or studying (especially during finals).  At night, I truly believe that you can see the stars the clearest from that spot and of course the view of Carnegie and Reci isn’t bad either. Pull a red chair up, bring a cup of coffee and its like your own little getaway from the real world!

Q: What do you see yourself doing after Witt?

A: Honestly I don’t know what I see myself doing, and I like it that way. Currently I am pursing jobs in the corporate business world in the US and abroad, but that’s as far as I know. The most I can say is that I hope I am leading an adventurous, challenging and happy life.

Q: After your time at Wittenberg, how will you pass the light on to others?

A: Throughout my time networking with Witt Alum, I have been overwhelmed by the sense of importance that the alums place on helping other Witt students. In my experience, it has not mattered how advanced the career or how heavy the work load of the person at that time, he/she will always respond quickly with something along the lines of “I am always available for a fellow Tiger”. I believe that this bond is priceless and is exactly what makes Wittenberg so special and I will strive to do the same once my time at Wittenberg has come to an end.

Compiled By: Carley Sullivan '16, Senior Woman Administrator Student Assistant