Freshman defensive specialist Jessica Granquist sat down with me, twice, to discuss everything from men’s outerwear fashion, to prom, to her cousin Kevin McHale. And without any extra talk, here it is!
Name: Jessica Granquist
Number: 2
Year: Freshman
Position: Defensive specialist
Full Bio: Gophersports Bio
Mark Heise: You’re from Blaine, Minnesota. I’ve been through there and noticed a lot of new construction. Have you seen any of that yet?
Jessica Granquist: Last year, it was really hard getting around and getting to school because of that construction, and then I always played soccer so I spent a lot of time over at the soccer complex, that’s one of my favorite parts about Blaine. It’s not really bothered as much by the construction over there.
MH: Do you like the bridges now that they’re finished?
JG: I haven’t been on them yet. My house is before the bridges.
MH: Really. I had to go over one for Thanksgiving, I almost got lost because I didn’t recognize it.
JG: Did you? that’s funny.
MH: I went to a Blaine High School prom my junior year, that would make you a freshman I think. Did you go to that prom?
JG: No, I didn’t… But… I have a funny story…
MH: We like funny storys.
JG: My brother got prom king when I was a junior, so then my senior year, my boyfriend went to Champlain Park so I went to their prom and then for my prom I had a volleyball tournament so I thought, I don’t need to go to my prom… I got prom queen. And I wasn’t there. So they were announcing my name, "Jessica Granquist, please come to the stage" and everyone was like "she’s not here!" They called me, I was actually in an ice bath, and they asked me if I was coming and I told them no, I have a volleyball game in the morning. So that was embarassing, but they gave me the crown still.
MH: so it WAS embarassing…
JG: Well, not embarassing… it made me sad, I kind of wish I was there.
MH: So that wasn’t your embarassing moment…
JG: No.
MH: Just making sure. Which prom was better your junior year at Blaine or your senior year at Champlain Park?
JG: I’d say Champlain.
MH: Alex Blatt wants to know how you can claim to have no embarassing stories.
JG: I don’t really get embarassed. I do dumb stuff I guess, not really, but… I don’t get embarassed. If I trip or something, I just think, whatever… it doesn’t embarass me easily.
MH: So you’ve had your fair share of incidents but…
JG: Yeah, I’m more comfortable with them.
MH: Ok. Do you remember elementary gym class? They make you do a lot of weird stuff in there.
JG: Yeah.
MH: What was the dumbest thing you had to do in that class? If you can remember…
JG: Oh I can remember… we had to do this thumb exercise every single day. With your thumbs and fingers you’d have to go (while doing a bending and straightening motion with the fingers…) "Ex-er-cis-es Ex-er-cis-es, let me do my ex-er-cis-es!" And you had to do all your fingers, moving them up and down. And then you’d do them together. It was the stupidest thing we had to do before anything.
MH: What was the point?
JG: I have no idea. Just get us exercising our fingers…
MH: It didn’t help your volleyball skills any?
JG: No.
MH: Ok. New question: What part of a blackout is the worst?
JG: Worst? In the winter, it’d be definitely the heat… plus food. I like food.
MH: Everone likes food.
JG: Yeah.
MH: Can you cook?
JG: Yep. I normally always eat at home, I eat out maybe twice a week, if that.
MH: Are you the best cook in your apartment?
JG: I don’t know… probably not, I don’t cook as much anymore, I just heat up things. Ariana (Filho) and Ashley (Suapaia) like to cook.
MH: So when you say cook, you mean microwave…
JG: Yeah. I microwave.
MH: Is there a worst cook in your apartment?
JG: Hmm… I don’t know, maybe Alex (Blatt) maybe me, I don’t know.
MH: What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make, coming from living at home for high school life to coming here and living on your own and going to college?
JG: The hardest part would probably be… school.
MH: School?
JG: Yeah, workload. I never really had to write many papers so you could kind of breeze through classes. Now it’s a huge adjustment.
MH: Ok. Are you afraid of anything?
JG: I’m afraid of the dark…
MH: Afraid of the dark?
JG: Yep.
MH: So you sleep with a night light?
JG: No, not like that! I’m afraid to walk in the dark.
MH: So you’re afraid to bump into stuff?
JG: More like scared like walking down the street and people jumping out at you.
MH: Oh, ok… I know what you’re talking about!
JG: Yeah.
MH: Some guys wear scarves now. What do you think of that?
JG: I mean, it looks nice, but I don’t personally like scarves on guys… it’s a girl thing, we’re getting too many scarves on guys.
MH: I know a guy whose girlfriend knitted him a scarf…
JG: (laughs) I would definitely not do that.
MH: Ok, so we agree. Worst part of doing laundry?
JG: Probably remembering to switch it over. I’ll put something in and then get completely distracted and suddenly think, "Oh! my laundry!"
MH: Do your roommates get mad about that at all?
JG: Not really, they just throw my clothes on the ground and put their own stuff in.
MH: Yup, that sounds strangely familiar… Have you ever ridden in an emergency vehicle?
JG: I have… once. I was in Illinois and I cut my finger open so I was on medication, and the medication made me stop breathing while I was at my brother’s soccer tournament. I completely stopped breathing and they rushed me to the hospital and gave me some stuff, then I was fine.
MH: Wow. I usually don’t get this lucky with answers to my random questions… um, when is it Ok to listen to Christmas music?
JG: December 1st.
MH: December 1st?
JG: Um, well that’s a little risky. I think like a week or TWO before Christmas. You can get in the Christmas spirit, and then it’s over
MH: The day after, it’s over?
JG: Well, January.
MH: So December, for sure, is the only month you believe Christmas music is acceptable?
JG: Yes.
MH: Ok. Have you ever gone Black Friday shopping?
JG: No, my brother actually went at 4 in the morning this year though!
MH: Your brother went?
JG: Yup, to mess with the crazies.
MH: They are crazy. Do you have any pet peeves?
JG: Pet Peeves… not really. I like bathroom clean. I like when bathroom sinks are clean. I don’t like them dirty.
MH: Most recent movie you watched?
JG: I just went to one… last one I watched, or went to?
MH: Either or.
JG: I just watched… that new Will Smith movie…
MH: What was it about?
JG: He had superpowers…
MH: Hancock.
JG: Hancock yeah! It’s really good!
MH: Favorite part?
JG: I thought it was cool, I didn’t know how the girl didn’t like him. I kept wondering why she didn’t like him cuz he’s so nice… Oh, and the part when he’s banging all that stuff on her, like… remember in the kitchen?
MH: Yeah, when they’re fighting…
JG: Yeah. He’s grabbing all this stuff and breaking it on her head…
MH: I think my favorite part was before he was reformed. Good movie, good choice. Along the same lines, do you watch the Pickup Artist with Alex? she said she was obsessed with that show.
JG: Nope. I don’t watch a lot of TV, we don’t have cable yet.
MH: Really?
JG: Yup. We were going to be gone and busy for volleyball so we decided not to buy it until second semester. So we came (to the Sports Pavilion) whenever we wanted to watch something.
MH: Ok… so I guess you don’t have a favorite TV show then…
JG: Not really. Some shows are ok, I don’t really like one show or another.
MH: Anyone who attends your games know that you and Lauren Gibbemeyer know every word to just about every song…
JG: Me and Lauren just love music. That’s what I do. I don’t watch TV but I love listening to music. She’s probably more into it than I am, she gets all the new songs, and knows them… I know all the words, like I pick them up ok, but she’ll go out and find all the songs. But we both love music.
MH: Most-played song in your Ipod?
JG: Most-played…Probably ‘Til I collapse by Eminem.
MH: Ok. You’re cousins with Kevin McHale.
JG: Yes.
MH: Did YOU play basketball?
JG: I did, yes. I used to play alot, and we’d play against Sasha, that’s his daughter… She still plays I think, but I gave it up for volleyball. I played soccer, basketball and volleyball.
MH: So you’ve never taken on Kevin in a game of one-on-one?
JG: Definitely not. But his doors are really big because he’s so tall.
MH: I believe it.
JG: It’s like extra-big-tall-long doors.
MH: Does he ever call you for advice on who to trade for, who to draft… anything like that?
JG: No! (laughs) I don’t know anything about the NBA.
MH: Question of the year: Travis Busch and Zach Eisendrath have an online TV blog called The What Else? Show, where they sit down and do a talk show, discussing anything they really feel like talking about that day. If you had an online TV blog, what would it be and what would you call it?
JG: Online TV show? I’d want it to be a comedy. I don’t know what I’d do, but I just like funny things. So probably a comedy…
MH: So you’re talking fiction?
JG: Yes, fiction. I don’t have a name for it.
MH: Do you have a first guest star?
JG: Guest star? no… I don’t know. Anyone funny.
MH: Did you give up anything for volleyball season?
JG: Macaroni and Cheese.
MH: For the whole season? that’s something I couldn’t do.
JG: It’s my favorite…
MH: Last question: Alex picked you for this, so you get to pick next week’s Off Topic guest. And you get to ask them a question.
JG: Has Ariana gone yet?
MH: She hasn’t, plus I haven’t met her, so that could be interesting.
JG: Probably Ariana, and ask her to talk about her dance moves, have her show you a dance move!
MH: This is a recorder, it only picks up sound…
JG: True… tell her to talk about Guitar Hero. Ask her how good she is at guitar hero.
Jessica, thanks again for the interview, hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Tune in next week for an Off Topic with Ariana Filho, as long as the Gophers season is still going strong. Minnesota plays at home Friday and possibly Saturday night to begin the NCAA tournament. both games begin at 7 p.m.
Also, please tune in later this week to read up on Minnesota basketball’s Brittany McCoy!