Michigan State University Athletics
Catcher Dana Rosenblatt Q&A
9/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 19, 2005
Dana Rosenblatt, a junior catcher for MSU's softball team, appeared in 25 games recording three hits in 2005 on the field, but off the field Dana's career has risen to new heights. A Hospitality Business major, Rosenblatt participated in the study abroad program provided at Michigan State traveling to India for a month-long study project. With plans to pursue a career in the restaurant business, Dana shares her thoughts on her softball career at MSU and her experience in India.
Q: When did you get involved in softball?
A: I started playing T-Ball when I was five years old and ever since then I really loved the game so I kept it going throughout high school and then I came to MSU. It was a perfect fit because MSU has one of the best Hospitality Business programs in the nation and a wonderful softball team.
Q: Who were your role models growing up?
A: My brother because he was an athlete as well. He played baseball and was a catcher and since I'm a catcher he helped me out a lot! My dad was also a role model because he is a very work oriented person and he pushes me to be a better athlete.
Q: You are from the Chicago area, why did you choose to play at MSU?
A: The Hospitality Business program is world-renowned. I also heard so many wonderful things about the softball team, so my decision was pretty easy.
Q: What is your most vivid softball memory?
A: My freshman year we won the Big Ten Championships and it was so surreal because I was just a freshman and we worked so hard to get there. We were at Michigan, which is one of our biggest rivalries and we beat Illinois to take the title. It was a neat experience.
Q: What is involved in a Hospitality Business major?
A: When people explain hospitality business, they usually say hotel management or restaurant management, but there is also gaming, resorts, and casinos that fall under that umbrella of options. You have to do internships with industry related businesses, but I'm more focused on the restaurant aspect of it. I work in restaurants with food and beverages. It's definitely a broad career, but it is mostly involved in hotel and restaurant management.
Q: How did you get involved in the study abroad program? How did you choose India?
A: I was sitting in a lecture one day and the professor did a power point presentation on India. I figured I would never have another opportunity to go to India so I decided why not? Dr. Singh was the professor in the hospitality business school and he was brilliant. He made me feel very comfortable about going there, so I gave it a shot!
Q: What did your program entail?
A: The name of the program was International Lodging and Development in India. India is a very poor country, but there was a boom of new development. There were lots of new hotels and restaurants going up and so our job was to go and compare India's industry to the industry in the US.
Q: What was a typical day for you in India?
A: Everyday we would wake up and go to lecture for a few hours. Then we would be able to eat lunch and have free time. We could go downtown to the shops and shop around, or we could go sight-seeing in the mountains. It was neat because everything is so unique.
Q: Where did you stay while you were in India?
A: We got to stay in extravagant five star hotels. We sometimes stayed in castles which were out of this world. One night we stayed at the castle where the King of India lives and we got to have cocktails with the king. That was amazing.
Q: What was your favorite part about the program?
A: My favorite part was being able to see all the sights and how unique the country actually is. My favorite place would have to be the Taj Mahal, because it's a magnificent wonder of the world. Being able to travel through India was an experience in itself. It was truly a culture shock though!
Q: What were the major differences that you saw between the United States and India?
A: The food was extremely hard to get used to, in more ways than one. The communication barriers were tough to get through as well. We could be going from one town to a next and ask where a truck stop was and they would have no clue what we were even talking about. It is a different way of life and sometimes people would even stop us on the streets and ask for our autographs because they aren't used to seeing people from the United States, but at the same time they could have a poster of a music artist hanging in the window.
Q: What did you take away from this experience?
A: Just to live life to the fullest. Being an athlete I never thought that I would have this opportunity because most of the time these programs are semester long and it wouldn't fit into my schedule. MSU is unique in that aspect as well because they offer programs over the summer which allows people like me to get this experience. I am already a junior and time has gone by so fast, so I tell myself everyday to live it up and don't let anything pass me by.
Q: Would you ever go back to India?
A: Yes I would. I would have to have things planned out and organized a little bit better, but yes I would definitely go back.
Q: What is your ultimate career goal?
A: My ultimate career goal would be to own a restaurant and manage it. I do want to venture out though because some days I want to be a cook and other days I want to run a restaurant or even be a trainer of operations. It is still up in the air, but I know for sure something in the restaurant field.
