With the spring sports season just about wrapped up, we will be taking a closer look at Muhlenberg’s senior student-athletes.

We continue with men’s tennis, which beat Ursinus, 5-4, in its Senior Day match. Seniors Jordan Rutt, Andrew Brod and Robert Buesser were honored before the match.

Jordan Rutt

What’s been your key to balancing tennis and school work to be named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll each of the last two seasons? I’ve always been a horrible procrastinator, so playing tennis and having even less time for schoolwork makes me focus really hard during crunch time. Luckily it’s worked out pretty well!

What was it like studying abroad in the Netherlands during the fall of your junior year? Studying abroad was the experience of a lifetime, which is why I took 10,000 photos! I had never even been on a plane before, so leaving America and flying across the Atlantic to a new continent was a huge adjustment for me. I still can’t believe I got to see 11 countries, and I certainly want to travel again when I’m older.

Are your parents going to go through withdrawal next year not having any Muhlenberg sporting events to attend for the first time in eight years? Yes, absolutely. It will be the first time one of their kids isn’t playing a sport in 20 years, and they have never missed a single tennis match throughout both high school and college! Luckily my sister coaches high school field hockey, so they can go watch her games.

What are some of the funniest moments from your time with the team? Burrito seshes, swum seshes, singing on the bus rides, Maestro (and Eli), and watching coach lather sunscreen on an umpire.

Do you have a favorite pro player? Rafael Nadal because of his athleticism and fighting spirit, and Maria Sharapova for obvious reasons.

What made you decide to major in economics and political science? When I was a freshman I was really interested in politics, but I knew I wanted and needed something else too. I thought I might enjoy a career in business, but I kind of liked math as well, so I chose economics. I don’t really care that much for politics anymore, so I’m glad I’ll have that econ degree!

What are your future plans? I’ll be looking for a job in business or statistics, and maybe one day if I somehow get super rich I’ll attempt to become a politician (but I doubt it). I also definitely want to coach tennis in the near future.

What’s Andrew Brod like off the court? Brod’s an all-around great guy. He’s goofy, happy, funny, a conscientious student, and not to mention a good friend. I’ll miss him a lot next year, along with the entire team.

Andrew Brod

What was it like getting to intern at the Library of Congress and with former Senator Arlen Specter the past two summers? … Hoping to learn more from government service work in D.C., I was selected for the 2011 Summer Junior Fellowship program at the Library of Congress. Assigned to the law division, I was able to hone my research and analytical skills by examining U.S. Court of Appeals records and briefs. After reviewing them, I docketed the briefs in a proprietary computer system so that they can be located if a lawyer or law clerk requests them. The fellowship was a great opportunity to whet my appetite for the study of law, particularly antitrust and consumer protection law, interests that stemmed from constituent phone calls in Senator Specter’s office. During my research, I came across a brief in a case involving an NFL antitrust claim in Joe Kapp v. National Football League. That case inspired me to research antitrust and sports contracts, including a specific provision in standard NFL player contracts, and I presented the findings in an exhibition at the Library of Congress. I performed a detailed search as if I were preparing to represent Joe Kapp directly. Researching the law and applying it to the circumstances of a potential case was exhilarating to me.

Do you have any interesting or unique pre-match traditions or superstitions? I like to keep the same overgrip on my racquet until it rips off completely.

Do you have a favorite pro player? Gael Monfils

What made you decide to major in psychology and minor in political science? I have always been interested in the intersection of psychology and law. After exploring the various disciplines, I found that studying psychology allows students to think critically, especially while attempting to take different perspectives and understand theoretical constructs that define everyday behavior. I feel as though it has prepared me well to handle the rigors of the law school curriculum.

What are your future plans? I will be attending law school in the fall.

What kind of person is Robert Buesser? Rob is a perseverant and overall stand-up guy who I’ve seen grow as a tennis player over the years. His enthusiasm is uncanny; he has a desire to constantly improve. It’s quite an admirable trait.

Robert Buesser

What made you decide to join the team as a sophomore? Originally, playing tennis in college didn’t really cross my mind freshman year. But I was encouraged to try out after a couple kids on the team saw me playing. So I decided to try out as a sophomore, and it’s been fun ever since. I guess it’s pretty cool to be a college tennis walk-on.

What’s the most memorable moment from your tennis career? The times in practice were actually the most fun, but I think the most memorable moment came this year against Gettysburg when Corey and I came back from down 6-3, 40-love all the way back to win 8-6.

What’s your most memorable off-the-court moment or accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? I have had the opportunity to be the Mule at the Homecoming football game twice. That was one of the most fun and memorable experiences I can remember.

Do you have a favorite pro player? Probably Roger Federer. He is the most respectable player in tennis because he almost never complains. And because of the hard work he puts into his game, he makes every shot look easy.

What made you decide to major in psychology and minor in Spanish? Coming into college, I always subconsciously knew that I would major in psychology. I have always found psychology interesting and applicable to everyday life. In addition, the professors from the psych department left a great impression on me, and I knew that psychology was for me. As for Spanish, I have always been naturally good at speaking the language. Also, I have taken Spanish since seventh grade, so I decided I should continue to study the language. Speaking Spanish is very important because in 20 or 30 years the majority of the nation will be Hispanic.

What are your future plans? My future plans include: Visiting every continent as well as the moon, curing cancer, saving a beautiful woman from a fire then marrying her, then eventually becoming the town hero of Little Rock, Arkansas.

What kind of teammate is Jordan Rutt? Jordan is a great teammate and captain. He legitimately cares and notices how you are playing and, of course, gives great pre-match speeches.

With the spring sports season just about wrapped up, we will be taking a closer look at Muhlenberg’s senior student-athletes.

In the coming days, the MuhlBox will feature some of the highlights from the traditional senior question and answer profiles that run with the programs for Senior Day.

We start with women’s tennis, which beat Ursinus, 8-1, in its Senior Day match. Seniors Emily Robbins and Lauren Wink were honored before the match.

Emily Robbins

What’s the most memorable moment from your time with the tennis team? One of my favorite memories is a bus ride last year with the four seniors. They knew how to keep us all laughing, but get us ready for the match at the same time. I also enjoy our team dinners (especially at Wegmans) before important matches. 🙂

Who’s your favorite pro player? I love watching Roger Federer play because of how hard he works and his strategy in matches. I have seen him live a few times, and he is incredible.

How have you been able to balance your time to make the Dean’s List the past two semesters? I really focus on my schoolwork and make that a priority. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, which is also motivation for me to get my work done.

What made you choose psychology as your major? I took Intro to Psychology with Dr. Rudski and was very intrigued by the information we were learning. I ended up finishing my major in three semesters because I enjoyed my psychology classes that much.

What are your future plans? I intend to use the next year to do research and apply to graduate school in 2013 in neuropsychology to do concussion research.

What kind of person is Lauren Wink? She works hard, but also knows how to have fun. She is a great friend and truly enjoys spending time with the team. Even though she’s student teaching this semester, she joins us at practice whenever she can, which shows her dedication.

Lauren Wink

What made you decide to join the team as a junior? My parents always told me to live my dreams. With their motivation and encouragement, I was able to work hard and join the team as a junior. I always played tennis with my family, but never competitively. I was an avid soccer player growing up, and unfortunately soccer and tennis were the same season in high school. The summer after I had back surgery, I shied away from competing in physical contact sports and increased my time spent playing tennis. It was at that time that I decided to take lessons and try out for the team at Muhlenberg. I thought it would be a good opportunity to become part of a team, which was a huge part of sports that I missed from playing varsity soccer and lacrosse in high school.

What’s your most memorable off-the-court moment or accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? I participated in the career center’s Senior Year Experience. As part of the three-day event, we were given a short cooking demonstration (because we all have to be prepared to cook in the real world!). Then at night we had a “Top Chef” competition. I was captain of my team; we were assigned the theme “mother-in-law is coming for dinner.” Two-and-a-half hours, a salad, a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and an elegant brownie dessert (with homemade whipped cream from Jordyn) later, we were selected as the “Top Chef” winners (shout out to Team Five!!!). It was a very fun event; they actually had chefs from local restaurants come in to judge all of the food! I am excited to see my name on the “Top Chef Winners” plaque hanging in the Wood Dining Commons!

What made you decide to major in business administration while pursuing your elementary education certification? People always say, “So you want to teach business to kindergarteners?” I always knew I wanted to receive my certification in education, but after enjoying my economics class in high school, I decided to take one at Muhlenberg. I decided that a major in business would give me many options. I have enjoyed taking the diverse classes from my marketing concentration to my certification in elementary education. I’m still trying to brainstorm ways I can combine the two – maybe by being an administrator in a school in the future.

What are your future plans? I plan on attending New York University in the fall to receive my master’s degree in literacy. After interning in New York last summer, I am very excited to have the opportunity to be there next year.

What kind of person is Emily Robbins? Emily actually moved into my hallway in the middle of sophomore year, but it was not until the summer before junior year that we actually spoke! When I was deciding to try out for the tennis team, I sent Emily an e-mail asking her what it was like being on the team. She gave me the rundown, and told me she loved the team and loved being able to play tennis every day. It is because of her that I decided to try out! She has been a very supportive teammate!