101 Things To Do Before You Graduate Living In History ... - Alumni

women’s tennis, men’s and women’s
indoor track and field, men’s and
women’s outdoor track and field, men’s
soccer, field hockey, softball, women’s
rowing, women’s swimming and diving,
and volleyball.
The Colgate teams to post perfect
multi-year APR scores were golf, men’s
lacrosse, men’s soccer, men’s indoor
track and field, men’s outdoor track and
field, softball, women’s cross country,
women’s swimming and diving, and
volleyball.
When mentoring is mutual
Carlton Walker ’10 and Ron Ransom
’93 have more in common than four
years at Colgate. They both graduated
How to
Putt with confidence at Seven Oaks
According to Seven Oaks golf pro Marian Blain, the
greens on Colgate’s golf course are not only the best
in central New York, but they’re also the fastest. This
comes as no surprise to those who have watched their
birdie tap-ins quickly turn into saves for a bogey. Blain
has provided five simple tips to help golfers at any
level tame the greens.
1. Less is more. Choke down on your putter to reduce
the energy that is transferred to the ball.
2. Overdo it a bit. Play more break than you normally
would. The line of golf balls shows the path the putt
should take.
3. Lighten up. Loosen your grip for better control and
pacing. Take a shorter backstroke and increase your
acceleration through the putt. Blain shows the position
you should be in at the end of the swing.
4. Be the ball. Putt with your shoulders, not your
wrists. When putting with your shoulders, you create
a more delicate stroke, which is necessary for fast
greens. Remember to stroke through the putt, though.
The club under Blain’s arms shows the correct positioning
of the golfer’s shoulders for this technique.
5. Let it roll. When putting downhill, place the ball just
off the toe of your putter. This will deaden the hit.
As you consider how to incorporate these tips into
your putting, don’t overthink it. Putting is about feel,
so start by looking at the hole, checking your line, and
thinking about the speed you need to roll it in. Then,
practice with your eyes closed. This type of drill helps
to get you focused on feel and pace. Using these tips
and practice drills will make you an expert on fast
greens in no time.
from Columbus Academy in Ohio,
both played football for the Raiders,
and both are African American.
But without the Maroon Council’s
mentoring program, created to assist
football-playing student-athletes with
virtually any life issue that may arise,
their paths might never have crossed.
“Ron and I had a bond right off the
bat,” said Walker, who is one of about
100 current or former players who
actively engages with his mentor. “He
explained to me ways to cope with
being so far from home, and we talked
about how I could succeed in an environment
that, at least on the surface,
appeared to be less diverse than our
high school.”
Over the past four years, Walker
and Ransom e-mailed frequently and
caught up in person when Ransom
came to campus for the annual T-Bone
Weekends he created to commemorate
the late J. Tyler Whaling ’93.
“I found it very difficult to approach
alumni for the first time, and Ron was
there for me in order to act as that
liaison. His guidance helped me when I
branched out beyond Colgate in my job
search,” observed Walker.
Although he is modest about the
role he played, Ransom, too, felt the
bond. “I’m not sure how I’ve helped
Carlton, but he has helped me stay
grounded,” Ransom said. “It’s easy to
forget one’s path to their current loca-
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tion; but by spending time with Carlton
I could reflect on how our hometown,
high school, and Colgate all helped me
become who I am. When I see Carlton,
I see a fresh world waiting for him to
take it by storm.”
At least for the moment, Ransom’s
job is done, and it is Walker’s turn to
lead. Beginning in the fall, Walker will
teach history and coach four sports as
a faculty fellow at the Wesleyan School
in Norcross, Ga.
Football experience is not required
to become a Maroon Council mentor.
Learn more and connect with Colgate’s
football alumni at www.maroon
mentors.org.
News and views for the Colgate community
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Andrew Daddio (5)