Class: Freshman
School: Stevens Institute of Technology
Hometown: Oak Harbor
What he did: Won three events in helping the Stevens Ducks beat Rowan in a dual meet. During his first season, Hu has set several meet records and been named swimmer of the week three times while leading the Ducks to their first-ever conference title.
What’s next: Stevens faces the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy this weekend in Kings Point, N.Y.
THE TWO-MINUTE DRILL
In the interest of full disclosure, we must admit we’ve never heard of The Stevens Institute of Technology. What can you tell us about the school?
Well, it’s a small school, about 2,200 undergraduates. It’s big on science and engineering. It’s right across the river from New York City — in Hoboken, New Jersey.
And how did a kid from Whidbey Island end up all the way out there?
The swim coach is probably one of the best recruiters in the country. I have about 10 inches high of stuff from him about the school. And it didn’t hurt that a friend and former teammate, Evan Wilson, is a junior here. I like it here. People are oriented like me. They’re techy, a little on the nerdy side.
What other schools did you consider?
Stanford and MIT, but I didn’t get in. I applied to Harvey Mudd College in California, but I didn’t get in there. I got into UW and a couple of other schools. But Stevens offered me the best financial-aid package.
Are you sure it’s not because you were hoping to be part of the next “Jersey Shore” cast?
No, it was just a good chance to see another part of the country. I’ve only seen that show a couple of times. It was pretty painful to watch.
But if you had the chance, would you rather party with the kids from “Jersey Shore” or Michael Phelps?
That’s a tough one. Hmmm. Probably Michael Phelps. But it would be pretty intimidating. He’s pretty big.
Sorry, but we’ve got to ask you about the name. How do you pronounce your last name?
Who — like the question.
Certainly you’ve heard a lot of one-liners: Dr. Hu, an assortment of knock-knock jokes. So what’s the funniest pun you’ve heard about your last name?
My team is going to make T-shirts soon. And one of the nominations for slogans is “Hu’s Your Daddy?” That’s pretty good.
So who’s your favorite band?
I don’t really have one. I just started listening to a guy named Jonathan Coulton.
We thought you were going to say The Who?
(Laughs) No, no, no.
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyway, you’ve had quite a run over the last year: Washington state runner-up, three-time conference swimmer of the week as a Stevens freshman, they’re making T-shirts. So are you big man on campus yet?
On the swim team, a little bit. I’m one of the three fastest guys on the team. But I’ve still got to stay on top.
And you’re a chemical engineering major. So which one is more time-consuming, chemical engineering or swimming?
They’re both pretty time-consuming — swimming, maybe even more so. I put about 20 hours a week into it. Studying takes 16-17.
But you’ve still had time to watch a couple episodes of “Jersey Shore?”
Only when my roommate switched the TV on. Next time, I’ll probably just put on the headphones and listen to some music.
Scott M. Johnson, Herald writer
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