You took the opportunity that you did have. That’s a big part of advocacy for girls now. Yes, we’re going to do the work to change the rules, and we’re going to get that law changed. But in the meantime, how can we prepare you? So when the law does get changed and you have a track team, are you guys prepared to win that race?
In talking with you, Sydney, I think I can see exactly why you deserve to be a Glamour College Woman of the Year. But tell me exactly why do you think that you are a Glamour College Woman of the Year?
I would say, one, I am relentless in my commitment to improving the experience of women athletes, and of Black athletes specifically. If there’s an opportunity, or an event, or a group, or something that I can help with, I almost always do it unless I’m busy somewhere else.
At Cornell I’m the president of Women of Color Athletics. I joined as a freshman the year that they first started it, became a copresident as a junior, have worked with our athletic department to improve funding, to expand our alumni network to athletes who were women of color at Cornell before WOCA even started. That’s something I’m extremely proud of.
And then, when it comes to outside of Cornell, I helped start Voice in Sport in 2020, a digital platform for girls and women in sports, trying to find mentorship, information about body image and mental health. So that’s a lasting impact that’s national and international.
Sydney Moore, I’m very impressed by you. There’s an old African saying: When people greet, they say, “How are your children?” So I know when they ask your parents, “How is your child?,” oh, they’ve got some wonderful things to say, which means that life is good. We’ve had some wonderful conversation here. But I have a very important question for you. What does Sydney do for fun?
When I’m at home, I’m at the beach a lot. Even winter break, it’s 60 degrees, it’s cloudy, I’m out there on my surfboard or I’m out there at the beach trying to get out in the water. I haven’t learned my lesson yet. And then in Ithaca, the trend is going to the gorges, going to the waterfalls. And then when it’s cold, and I’m not going to go out, I love television.
What do you like to watch?
My favorite show of all time is Scandal. I could watch that over, back to back, forever. I love Scandal, which I think it’s funny now working in DC so often. I would say my next favorite show is probably Gossip Girl. And Black Mirror as a psych major. I’m always watching that one. And you get to call it studying, right?
Well, trust me, television can be quite a study in social matters. But you just said something about working in Washington, DC, a lot. What are you doing there?