Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament tips off this week in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of articles in the week ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage with an interview of William & Mary band member Peyton Boggs.
You are from Richmond, VA: what made you choose William & Mary? I liked the small-campus feel and the people within it: everyone is really nice and it is a great community to be part of.
You are majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Math: why did you choose those subjects? I love problem-solving and it is fun for me. I took a computer class in high school and liked it: my father/grandfather are also into computers. Math is very connected to computer science and the classes cross over a lot so it was easy to add the minor.
You have a 3.9 GPA: how are you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? 1 thing I love about the band is that it is non-committal. Other schools’ bands practice all the time and you have to attend all the games…but we are not like that. A lot of people wanted to go home for spring break this week, and when you have to prioritize class you can do so without any problems.
You play the trumpet in the William & Mary Pep Band: how long have you been playing that instrument, and what is your favorite song to play? I started playing the trumpet in 6th grade so I guess this is my 9th year. My favorite song to play is “Bang Bang” by Jessie J (featuring Ariana Grande/Nicki Minaj).
You are also a social chair: what does that involve? Bringing the band to social events is something that we have been lacking over the past 18 months. We got to play at a fraternity party and we also have an intramural handball team: we won our 1st game but then lost in the playoffs.
As an Eagle Scout you performed some gardening at a retirement home: how much importance do you place on community service? It is great to help out other people, especially those who cannot help themselves, but it has been hard for me to find such opportunities in college.
You work part-time at Panera Bread: what is your favorite item on the menu? The kitchen sink cookie, which has chocolate/nuts/caramel.
You did a TEDTalk on the future of working from home: what was your conclusion? I think it is the future, especially in the computer science field. I want to go to an office and share a workplace with others…but it will probably only be for 1/2 the week.
Your basketball team lost 22 games this season: is it harder to be in the band when the team is not playing that well on the court? No: there is definitely an underdog mentality that a lot of people enjoy. We have won 2 straight so it is fun to be hot! Chase Lowe was unbelievable for us yesterday so to win games when you do not expect it is great.
Any predictions for today’s game vs. Towson? Tribe win! We are hot and I like our starting lineup. We lost to Towson in the regular season…but we also lost to North Carolina A&T (who we beat yesterday) so I think that we are in a good spot to pull off an upset.