Name: Daniel Van Beveren '20
Hometown: Chesapeake, Va.
Sport: Cricket
Activities/Clubs/Committees: Society of Physics Students
Why did you choose Haverford?
I fell in love with the academic scene after visiting. I met professors, talked with students, and sat in on classes, and everything I saw marked Haverford as a school that focused on thoroughly educating its undergrads in the liberal arts tradition. Things like class size, student-to-faculty ratio, and research participation all suggested that Haverford would be a phenomenal place to learn (though such stats didn't even begin to capture the full picture, which I've since found is even better than it looked). I also found the student culture to be far more collaborative than competitive, which was crucial for me. The close proximity to Philadelphia, and thus cheesesteaks, was also a plus. While I paid little attention to the athletics when I chose to come here, I did take note of the cricket team – after all, it's one of those many things that makes Haverford unique.
What is your favorite team experience?
Tea. Every match, between innings, both sides gather in the historic cricket pavilion for tea (and occasionally pizza, if we're lucky). It's one of the quintessential cricket experiences when we all take a break from the action to just enjoy good tea and good company.
Why did you choose to play a sport in college?
I wasn't seriously involved in any athletics my first year, and by the time sophomore year rolled around I realized I was getting bored and out of shape. Add to that I missed playing sports of some kind, which had been a fixture in my life for about as long as I can remember, and I realized that joining the cricket team might be just what I needed. While I'd never played cricket before, it looked fun (and strange and intriguing), and the team took me in almost instantly and has since been a great group of some of my closest friends on campus.
What does being a student-athlete mean to you?
It means striving for excellence in both academics and athletics – and doing everything I can to achieve both without sacrificing one for the other. I also think it's a reflection of the Haverfordian liberal arts ethos, which places supreme importance on strengthening all parts of the mind. But people aren't just disembodied mind, and it's easier to keep a sound mind in a sound body. What's more, sports aren't just physical. Cricket is a game of concentration, focus, and discipline, all of which are crucial to the student as well as the athlete.
What advice would you give a high school student considering Haverford?
Visit campus if you get a chance, sit in on a class, and talk to professors and students – these are the things that I found set Haverford apart. And, if you're already visiting campus, you might as well get some cheesesteaks (or hoagies, if you prefer) while you're here.