Name: Blane SoperSport: BaseballHometown: West Windsor, N.J.Major: Neuroscience
Why did you choose UChicago? I wanted to explore a new part of the country, attend a school in a large city, and find an institution that allowed me to pursue academics and athletics at a high level.
Favorite moment of your UChicago athletic career? My first collegiate home run at Ripon.
Favorite team tradition/activity? Playing mafia on the team bus.
What made you fall in love with your sport originally? As a game of failure, I have always loved the challenge of trying to improve as a hitter and find ways to persevere against the odds. There’s not a more satisfying feeling than squaring up a pitch.
What lessons have you learned through competing in your sport that have stuck with you? Long-term consistency always beats short-term intensity.
What advice would you give to your first-year teammates? Most players don’t get the opportunity to continue their playing career beyond high school, so cherish every moment and become the best player you can be.
Favorite UChicago class that you learned the most from and why? Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Policy and Politics because if filled in a lot of gaps in understanding I had about why our healthcare system operates so differently than other OECD countries.
Which UChicago faculty or staff member made the greatest impact on you and why? My PI, Professor Ming Xu, made the greatest impact on me because he gave me the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of translational science research and eventually design and carry out my own research projects under his lab’s supervision in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care.
Favorite place on campus? Mansueto.
Favorite thing to do in the city? Go to White Sox games at Guaranteed Rate Field.
What are your post-graduation plans? Matriculate to medical school, probably at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in my home state of New Jersey.
Outside of your current sport, which sport or activity do you feel like you would excel at the most? I’m not very good at video games, but I could see myself getting really good at them someday.
Favorite Chicago restaurant? Maravillas.
Favorite place you’ve visited? Sint Maarten.