By Maya Minwary
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
While most students spend their freshman year trying to adjust to college life, Molly Oster was traveling all over the United States as the manager of the men’s basketball team. Now a sophomore, Oster is gearing up to travel with the team again.
In addition to keeping busy with pre-season basketball practices and her studies, Oster is also the president of Riptide, the social sister for Psi Upsilon fraternity and the Student Advisor of White Hall.
Being the SA of a freshman female dorm is not an easy job, but Oster said she loves it.
“We have 49 phenomenal girls,” Oster said. “And I work with an awesome co-worker, Amber Rogers, the (Residential Advisor) of White Hall. We haven’t had to give out one write up to anyone yet and the girls all respect us.”
Many sophomores at Pepperdine face their first experience studying abroad in one of the many International Programs, but Oster lived and went to school in Colonge, Germany, at the age of 10. Her family spent the year in Cologne to help the Geminde Christi Church. Oster recently returned to study in Germany with Pepperdine’s summer 2002 Heidelberg program.
“Until I went to college, I had considered Germany as my second home,” Oster said.
Her native soil, however, is in Memphis, Tenn.
As for her Southern accent, Oster said she lost it in high school.
“I had a huge Southern accent when I was little,” the liberal arts major said. “I don’t know how I lost it, but I just remember my freshman year in high school when I was in theater class and my teacher complimented me for my (lack) of a Southern accent.”
Whether you pronounce her last name with a Southern accent or not, it’s pronounced “Os-ter” like the kitchen appliance. She said it’s not pronounced “Ose-ter” or “Oy-ster.”
What exactly do you do as the manager of the men’s basketball team?
“During practice, I run the clock and the scoreboard. It may seem easy, but some of the drills Coach (Paul) Westphal makes the team do can get a little crazy.
During games I’m the one who brings the team their waters and towels. Yeah, I’m the “water girl,” but I get to sit on the courtside bench with the team and watch the games from there.”
What’s it like working so closely with the team?
“The guys are all really nice to me and Tiffany Valdez (the Athletic Department administrative assistant) looks out for me like a big sis. We’re like a family, a semi-dysfunctional family, but a family.”
What made you decide to come to Pepperdine?
“My parents told me I was either going to a Church of Christ school or I would be paying for college (by myself). I think my parents told me that to keep me closer to home, but their plan backfired when I started looking at Pepperdine my junior year in high school.
Lipscomb University (in Nashville) was my fallback school and when it came down to it, Pepperdine costs me $8 cheaper.”
What is the biggest difference between California and Tennessee?
“The weather. It’s mid-November now and it’s still 70 degrees here. It would be 40 degrees in Memphis right now. California has made me a wuss. Now when I come home I either die in the summer because the weather is too hot or I freeze in the winter.”
Speaking of Memphis, what about Elvis? Are you a big fan?
“I’m indifferent. Like most Memphis (people), I’ve never been to Graceland. The way I think is, say you live in San Antonio, (Texas), have you been to the Alamo? Probably not.
I remember when I was going to school in Germany though and when I would tell my classmates that I came from Memphis, Tenn., they would immediately ask me about Elvis. I guess they were all big Elvis fans. It was also around the time that the Elvis stamps came out. I remember my mom bringing some back to Germany on her trip to the States and I handed them out to the people in my class. Everyone was excited.”
What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
“People — friends, families. I’m a people person and I just enjoy being around other people.”
If you could be any animal, what would you be?
“I’ve always had this thing for monkeys, but since they’re so closely related to humans, I feel like I would be cheating. I would really like to fly, so I guess a bird, a pretty one though, not like a seagull or a crow. And I wouldn’t want to be a bird that gets hunted.”
What’s your favorite food?
“Fruits and lots of them. But, I’m really picky about which ones I eat, the cafeteria fruit doesn’t cut it for me.
When I became a vegetarian, my mom bought me a vegetarian cookbook and it has one great taco recipe made out of couscous and tofu.”
So you cook?
“I’m no master chef or anything, but I can be creative. One time when I was in middle school our class project was to make up a set of directions and to follow them. So, I found the recipe for brownies and decided that I would use that for my set of directions. I started making the brownies and of course I forget the chocolate. When I took out my pan of brownies out of the oven they were white. I still brought it to class and called them “blondies” instead of brownies.”
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you bring?
“One, my Nalgene water bottle hooked up to a Brita (water filter) system.
Two, my Bible. I’ve been telling myself that I would read through the entire Bible, maybe this way I actually will.
Three, my chiropractor. My neck and back are out of whack, no rhyme intended. Sometimes they really hurt so much that they give me migraines and since I would be sleeping on sand or whatever makeshift bed I could make, it wouldn’t be the best support.”
What’s something unique about you?
“I have a shirt that says, “semper ubi sub ubi.” It means “Always wear underwear” in Latin.”
November 14, 2003