Nov. 16, 2005
Recently, the Jetway sat down with a pair of Flyers who should see a lot of playing time this season. Not only friends, but two of the Flyers top returning players, junior Jennifer Strong and senior Terri Ramsey talked about life, hoops and, of course, shoes!
Jetway: Why did you choose UD?
Jennifer Strong: I like the facilities and the basketball atmosphere. It's (Dayton) a basketball city.
Terri Ramsey: I like the facilities too, but I also like the community. Everything was nice. (When I visited) I liked it because it was small, but not too small.
JW: Tell me more about what you like about the facilities:
JS: It's like a second home almost. I'm pretty sure if they asked us if we wanted to sleep here when we have 6 a.m. practice we'd say sure. We have a big screen and games. Everything.
JW: How old were you when you started playing basketball?
Both: Second or third grade.
JW: At first they wouldn't even let the girls play. It was just the guys. So a few of us tried out. Almost like a rec league.
TR: We had rec teams where I was from. And my brothers played so I played with them sometimes when they let me.
JW: Why did you decide to play basketball in college?
TR: I actually wasn't going to play anymore after high school. But then I happened to go to junior college and thought, "Well I might as well play." Then I did well one year and got a scholarship - I liked it more than I thought. Coach Williams contacted me about playing for UD.
JS: I was traumatized when high school was over because I still wanted to play high school ball. I knew I wanted to keep playing.
JW: So UD approached you about coming here?
JS: I came in and was like, "Whoa, look at these facilities."
TR: There were big pictures in the hallways - I wanted mine to be up there!
JW: So what are your families like?
JS: I have an older sister. She's 23. I have a mom and a dad. Holidays with us are crazy. The long table with food, people start cracking jokes. It's crazy.
TR: I don't have a lot of family in Washington, but me and my mom just go eat Korean food. She doesn't cook - if there's a Korean restaurant open, we'll go and eat there. She even mails me Korean food here at school.
JW: What is your favorite place to eat in Dayton?
JS: Applebee's.
TR: Chipotle.
JW: What do you always order? The same thing?
JS: I always order the sampler platter with barbeque wings, no mozzarella sticks, with French fries and extra spinach dip - with chicken quesadillas. And a strawberry lemonade.
TR I get four crispy tacos and chips with guacamole. And I get extra sour cream and chicken and lettuce, usually extra chicken and extra cheese.
JW: Tell us something about you that the fans might not know. Any hidden talents?
JS: I'm gonna have a record deal after I graduate. It's gonna be called, "When I Was a Little Cat". I'll give you a little bit right now. (singing) "When I was a little cat, I climbed up a tree. Then I fell down and broke my head and then I became a bear. When I was a bear..."
TR: She sings this all the time.
JS: Everybody always makes fun of me because I don't know the words to certain songs. And I just try to sing the words. So I made my own song and I have my own words, they can't tell me what it can or can't be.
JW: What is your favorite movie?
TR: Superstar. And I like Mulan I and Mulan II. JS: I like For Love and Basketball. That's Terri's favorite movie, too. Every basketball player loves that movie.
JW: What's your favorite TV show?
Both (at the same time): Laguna Beach.
JS: And Making the Band, III.
JW: Where is your favorite place to shop?
JS: Finish Line.
TR: I like the whole mall. I like buying shoes, so Bakers.
JW: What is your favorite article of clothing?
JS: Jordan's.
TR: I just like shoes. I bought these Converse in Europe. They're like khaki but the inside is furry. I like fur on my shoes.
JW: What is your favorite thing about each other?
JS: My favorite thing about T is that no matter what it is, she'll laugh about anything. Most people get mad or upset about a mistake they make in a game, but she'll make little comments under her breath and it's the funniest thing in the world to me. I look forward to her comments sometimes. We call each other sisters.
TR: I like J because when I am down, Jennifer always knows what to say. She always tells me what to do during games - I can talk to her about anything.
JW: What's the most annoying thing about each other?
JS: Probably when she wears different color socks.
TR: J has holes in her socks and she wears them! They're wearing out on the bottom, and I tell her "It's time to retire them."
JS: Yea, but you wear one red sock and one blue sock.
TR: But that's funny. You're holes are really bad. You might as well not wear any socks.
TR: Oh, I know what gets on my nerves. She takes 18 hours to write a word. It has to be perfect. She doesn't press hard with her pencil at all. It takes her forever when we have to sign stuff. She's a perfectionist.
JW: What's your favorite memory from the Europe trip?
JS: The last night we were there. We were in Vienna, Austria. We went to this restaurant twice and it was family style.
TR: Everybody was just laughing and it was fun.
JW: What was the funniest memory from the trip?
JS: When Angela (Cape) tried to do double claps.
TR: Yeah, we were in the airport and she tried to do double clap push-ups. But she landed flat on her face in the middle of the airport.
JW: What was the best country to shop in?
TR: Vienna, Austria. That was the best. Like New York City, kind of.
JS: Prague was nice, too.
(Click here for all the photo galleries and stories from the Europe Trip)
JW: What was the coolest basketball moment in Europe?
TR: Meeting the other teams. Giving them those Dayton Flyer bracelets. We were in the Czech Republic and we gave them those and they loved them. They said they had been looking all over for the bracelets.
JW: Did anyone on the team know any of the languages that were spoken?
TR: Didn't Coach Jaques know? I think she knew one of the languages.
JW: Who is your favorite coach?
TR: I like all of the coaches but...
Both (at the same time): B. Scott.
JS: He's funny. He doesn't even know he's funny sometimes.
JW: Who's the toughest coach?
Both (at the same time): Coach Jaques.
JS: Is there a question about one who talks a lot? Because that's Coach V.
JW: What is the music that gets you ready to play ball?
TR: Random stuff.
JS: I'm getting more diverse.
TR: Not hard core gansta rap - but something like Missy Elliot. With a good beat.
JS: Kanye West's - "Workout Plan". The two of us have to be the last one's in there (the locker room). We have to listen to the song. TR: If you notice, we always are the last two to come out of the locker room.
JW: If you could go on any reality television show - what would it be?
TR: The Swan - no I'm just kidding. The Surreal Life.
JS: Making the Band, IV.
JW: Who is your favorite person at UD?
TR: I'm gonna miss Angela (Cape). My roommate. She cleans all the time and when I'm sick she takes care of me.
JS: Professor Riad Alakkad. He puts silly questions about him beating me in basketball into the tests. He's real cool.
JW: Terri, as a senior any final messages?
TR: At the end of the year, I'll say "I'm out!" "Sujeezy's out!" My middle name is Sujeong - so the team calls me Sujeezy.
