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Gretchen Miller Senior Profile
11/6/2010 8:16:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C.- GoDuke.com recently sat down with Gretchen Miller for her senior profile. Miller discussed what she likes to watch on television, superstitions, her time at Duke and much more.
GoDuke.com: What do you like to watch on TV?
GM: I love the food network, and basically every show they have. I also really like MTV, Sportscenter. Sometimes I watch TLC, I watch Bravo a lot too, and that's about it.
GoDuke.com: What do you have in your iPod before a game?
GM: Mostly rap and hip hop. I really like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and kind of anything along those lines. Something that is going to really get me amped.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite movie?
GM: Favorite movie... I would say the Holiday, with Cameron Diaz. I love that movie any time of the year.
GoDuke.com: Do you have any superstitions?
GM: Yeah, I have a lot. Basically there are certain rituals I have with certain people before the game, Carey, Merbs and I have a handshake that we always do. We always do tape on our wrists, and I always have to tape Carey and Fitz, Carey has to tape me. We write stuff, and certain people write certain things. I typically, when I play, I don't put my shin guards on until the second half of warm ups. I don't do the first part of the warm ups with them on, it is just something that I do. That's about it I guess.
GoDuke.com: What's on your bucket list?
GM: My bucket list umm...probably to travel to every continent maybe. I don't know, I guess that would be it.
GoDuke.com: What is the first job you ever had?
GM: The first real job I ever had was as a sales associate at Finish Line my senior year of high school. I only worked there for six months because they were closing and they basically moved the store. Yeah, I worked there for six months and probably bought too many pairs of shoes in the process.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite home cooked meal?
GM: Well, when I was younger I was pretty picky. I didn't actually eat most of the home cooked meals. My mom would have an alternate version that she made for me. I would say now that my favorite home cooked meal is probably; my mom makes a really good beef stroganoff that I really like.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite show on the food network?
GM: I love Paula Dean, I think she is awesome. I like a lot of the contest shows where they compete against each other and I enjoy that. There have been a lot of baking ones, with cup cakes and stuff like that. There's one on TLC called Cake boss but, Ace of Cakes, that's the one on Food Network.
GoDuke.com: Do you every try to do any of the recipes?
GM: I don't. I don't cook that much. I really enjoy baking and we do that a lot when I am home. I make a mean no bake, which is basically a cookie that is oatmeal and chocolate, you don't bake it.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite class that you have taken at Duke?
GM: I would definitely say my "Building Winning Teams" class with Mark Tribus that I took my junior fall with Fitz and Kendall. It was us, and I think 12 other athletes, and one non-athlete. There were also seven or eight coaches or administrators, so John Kerr was in there, Kerstin Kimel, coach Houser was also in there. There were a lot of high profile coaches in there and it was an amazing experience to be able to work together in a unique academic environment and feed off each other in learning how to develop our own personal leadership philosophies and learning how to lead others.
GoDuke.com: What has been the toughest class that you have had at Duke?
GM: I was just talking about this topic this morning actually. I would say French. I took French in high school but I never really liked it that much. With the three semester's requirement here, it was painful. I got through it but it wasn't fun.
GoDuke.com: Where do you like to go and study?
GM: The K Center. Absolutely, that's the only place I go and study.
GoDuke.com: How nice has it been to have that new addition of the K Center since you have arrived at Duke?
GM: It's amazing. If I think back on the Schwartz-Butters days, which was only my freshman year, and there could only be like 10 people in there at a time. The K Center is such a luxury for us as student-athletes, it is such a nice facility and I think that they have done a really great job. I'm happy that they have a place like that for student-athletes.
GoDuke.com: Who is the best cook in your family?
GM: That's definitely my mom. She is the one who has always made meals growing up so I would definitely say her.
GoDuke.com: What would your dream job be?
GM: Probably Vice President of Nike or something like that.
GoDuke.com: What do you like to read?
GM: I just finished Something Borrowed; I'm reading Something Blue by Emily Griffin. So I really enjoy those. Just something light, not anything too intense, but something that I can enjoy that will be a quick read. There's a book called I Am Charlotte Simmons, I think, that is supposed to be based on Duke that I am going to read next. During the semester I don't have as much time to read. I do that more over summer break, Christmas break.
GoDuke.com: Who has had the most impact on your life and why?
GM: I would definitely say my parents. I think they have been the ultimate supporters of everything that I have wanted to do and they stood by my side and dreamed my dreams with me. No matter what it was that I wanted to do I think that they were going to be there to tell me that they love me and help me in any way that they could for me to succeed. So I would definitely say them.
GoDuke.com: Who would you trade places with for a day?
GM: Coach K maybe. I think that it would be fascinating to see what his day to day life is like, especially as such a superstar person.
GoDuke.com: Who is your most eccentric teammate?
GM: I'm going to have to go with Emily Nahas. She is truly one of a kind, and she brings so much to our team. What most impresses me about her is that she is always going to be who she is -- she is not going to change for anybody. She really encourages me always to be the person that I am and not be afraid to express that. I think she does a great job with that.
GoDuke.com: Do you have a dream date that you would like to have?
GM: Shoot, I would probably say... Lance Armstrong is who comes to my head first. I don't know, I have always looked up to him and it would be kind of cool to go on a date with him.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
GM: It's definitely college basketball, men's college basketball. I don't think there's anything really like it. The competitive level and the passion for the game is so contagious and I love watching.
GoDuke.com: What was it is like being at the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship last year?
GM: That was unbelievable, truly one of my best memories in my life, one of the best experiences I've ever had. I don't think that I will ever forget it. I was in the Bryan Center the other day and they were playing the game and I still get chills thinking about it -- thinking about being there and experiencing it with my best friends. Just how truly amazing it was, and how it was once in a lifetime.
GoDuke.com: What is your favorite sport to play other than your own?
GM: We play intramural basketball, which is fun. I really enjoy a lot of sports, and just messing around, doing anything really. I'm up for playing basketball, or throwing a football around, playing catch, a variety of things really.
GoDuke.com: What is your worst habit?
GM: I always paint my fingernails and I tend to pick it off within 48 hours. You can see right now it is already coming off, it's awful. I like to do it, but I can't-not pick them. It's not even a nervous habit, I just pick them. I don't know,
GoDuke.com: What is your best vacation you have been on?
GM: We went to the Outer Banks, my mom's side of the family; she is one of nine so it is a huge family. We went there before my freshman year at Duke, so four years ago, and that was unbelievable. There are a lot of cousins my age, and we all get along very well, and have a lot of fun together. So that was definitely the most fun.
GoDuke.com: What is the best concert you have ever been to?
GM: I actually haven't been to that many concerts, which is kind of sad. I would probably have to say the Goo Goo Dolls concert in Indy, and people will probably laugh at that. It was just the whole experience, and the icing on the cake was that the Goo Goo Dolls were performing for free so we walked down to that and had a really great time.
GoDuke.com: First car you ever had?
GM: I guess, in high school I was passed down my mom's Honda Accord, so I drove that in high school. My first car that was actually bought for me is the car that I am driving now, which is a 2005 Cheep Grand Cherokee.
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