Q & A with Sophomore Anton Razanav
Sophomore men's swimmer Anton Razanav has made a big impact at Carnegie Mellon. A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Razanav was crowned the University Athletic Association champion in the 200-yard backstroke last year before earning All-America Honorable Mention distinction as part of the 400-yard medley relay team that competed at the NCAA Championships. Find out a more about the Business Administration major in our 10 Questions Feature:
1. Why did you choose to attend Carnegie Mellon University?
CMU offers a highly competitive and challenging mix of outstanding education and an ideal path for the continuation of my swimming career. This, in a nutshell, is what allowed me to make the clear decision to attend this university as I saw myself growing into my full potential throughout my time here.
2. What do you plan to do following graduation?
Following graduation, I see myself as a self-sufficient individual, having a steady job as well as a good amount of ambition to continue growing as a person. More specifically, I am planning on sending my parents on a well-deserved vacation as a way to thank them for supporting me through all of the highs and lows. Ideally, I would gain useful work experience and love what I do and allow my aspirations to take me in whatever direction interests me at the time.
3. What is your favorite place or thing to do on campus?
One of my favorite places on campus is the study/lunch area overlooking the pool, in the University Center. My friends and I have kept a tradition of having lunch there daily since the beginning of freshman year, so I always know where to find them. Also, the sitting area just happens to offer a clear view of the swimming record board, reminding me to stay focused.
Another one of my favorite places is the café on the 3rd floor of Gates. It's a wonderful place to have a delicious cup of coffee and catch up with a friend, listening to the often strange sounding indie music filling the room while taking a break from the hectic life of a CMU student.
4. What are your goals for your team?
I simply want the team to hold the love for the sport of swimming above all else. With this in mind, a positive and cheerful environment will surely foster success and remind everyone why we swim. Personally, I see our team having a strong showing at UAAs and moving forth to NCAAs where we can represent CMU on a national level and display both our personal and group excellence.
5. As a team, what types of things do you do together away from the field/court?
On a community level, the team has a yearly tradition of taking strong participation in an event called "The Hour of Power," which is essentially a fundraising event to support Sarcoma research and commemorate a swimmer deceased from the unfortunate cancer. The entire team gets involved in raising money by selling t-shirts and organizing an hour long relay for any volunteers who want to leave it all in the pool in memory of the swimmer and to show support for the cause.
As far as team bonding away from the pool, we have a deep history of celebrating all of the major holidays together. We take trips to a haunted house on Halloween, have variations of Thanksgiving dinner together, have gingerbread house building competitions during the Christmas season, go apple picking, have movie nights, poker nights, study nights, etc.
6. What do you think sets Carnegie Mellon apart from peer institutions?
CMU has an extensive history filled with deep culture and tradition that make it stand out among peer institutions. It is much more than just a school, as it is constantly on the cutting edge of breakthrough research and technology where the population is never surprised to find revolutionary developments taking place down every hallway.
7. If you could choose another sport to participate in, what would it be, and why?
I would choose to participate in soccer. I have always wanted to experience a team-centered sport, and being born in Belarus and raised in my hometown of Minsk as well as Ukraine and Russia, I have grown to love soccer, which is a common pastime with deep roots. I believe that soccer is the world's sport and love the culture that it carries. From countrywide fan bases to the overwhelming joy of scoring a goal, soccer has the inexplicable ability to unite people that I strongly admire.
8. What is your most memorable moment here at Carnegie Mellon?
It is difficult to center in on a single moment that is most memorable here at CMU, so instead I will name a few that that come to mind. Although not necessarily taking place at CMU, my victory at the 2011 UAA Championships in the 200 Backstroke reminded me of my love for the sport and made my parents really proud, which I always strive to do. Another moment that imprinted itself in my mind was the first time I took a second to appreciate the entire campus being covered in a beautiful blanket of snow. Even though being from Belarus, I have witnessed snow, the fact that I have spent the last decade living in San Diego, CA, allowed me to have an entirely different, breathtaking value for the view.
9. Who has had the most influence on your life?
My mother has the most influence on my life. The sacrifices she has made and continues to make for me to have a better life will never go unnoticed and her words of wisdom carry much weight in my day-to-day life. She is an extraordinary woman and I am glad that I am able to realize that and truly understand how much she has shaped and molded me into the person that I am today.
10. How do you feel about the student-athlete community and support at Carnegie Mellon?
The student-athlete community at CMU shares a lot in common. Grueling schedules filled with rigorous training and classes leave us all happily exhausted, knowing that at the end of the day, we have grown to be that much faster, stronger, and smarter.