FINALIST - 2007

James Conrad Let me begin by saying that I don’t believe Lafayette has an ideal. If Lafayette were searching for the students it felt would most represent its predefined ideal, Lafayette would be crawling with a few thousand students, all pseudo clones of each other, competing for the same grades, positions, and honors in the same departments and activities. By examining an excerpt for Lafayette’s Mission Statement, we find an alternate explanation. “In an environment that fosters the free exchange of ideas, Lafayette College seeks to nurture the inquiring mind and to integrate intellectual, social, and personal growth.” Therefore, I feel as though the Lafayette ideal has nothing to do with characteristics or dreams we find within, but by the action of an individual in taking advantage of whatever situation presents itself, exuding those inner characteristics for the good of others, and following those dreams no matter how big or small. Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value.” For all the honors, awards, and achievement that one can attain when striving to better oneself, no person is truly complete without the inner growth that comes hand in hand with applying his/her skills for the good of all. Throughout my time at Lafayette, I have attempted to put myself in a position to pass on the development I’ve undergone as a person to other people. I would like to think that I was successful in helping foster others as I was fostered before them during my time here, but what I do know is that each time I put myself in a situation to assist and work with others, their efforts benefited me and helped me grow as a person more than I could have ever imagined. Lafayette’s ideal is not measured by who you are, what shape, size, or color you come in, but by the advantage you take of your abilities and opportunities in the everlasting strive to reach your potential.

 

Major: Mathematics
Thesis: Baseball Statistics - Mental Approaches to Hitting and Pitching Based on the At Bat Counts


Academic Activities

• Sigma Xi - Research Honor Society (4)
• Pi Mu Epsilon - Math Honor Society (3,4)
• ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II (Baseball) (3)
• Lafayette Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year (3)
• Lafayette Greek Scholar-Athlete of the Year (3)
• Senior Thesis with Prof. Root - Mental Approaches to Hitting and Pitching based on the At Bat Counts (4)
• Marquis Scholar (1,2,3,4)

Campus Activities

• Resident Adviser - First Floor McKeen Hall (2)
• Head Resident Adviser - South / Marquis / 718 Sullivan St. (3)
• Orientation Leader (4)
• Voices of Experience Panel (3,4)

Community Service

• Volunteer at Boys and Girls Club of America (Easton) (4)
• Private Tutor (2,3)
• Student Teacher (2,3)

Athletics

• Varsity Baseball Team (1,2,3,4)
• Lafayette Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year (3)
• All-Patriot League Selection (Baseball) (2,3)
• ESPN The Lafayette Greek Scholar-Athlete of the Year (3)
• Magazine Academic All-District II (Baseball) (3)

Special Interest

• Phi Gamma Delta Brother (2,3,4)
• Treasurer/Vice-President for Phi Gamma Delta (2,3,4)
• Various Diversity Programming – Planned and ran the Crash program that was eventually modified to be the Orientation Theme for Class of 2010 (3)