On this release of Big Red Spotlight, we have Jakobi Davis! Jakobi is a current sophomore studying Civil Engineering with a concentration in renewable energy. He is from Sarasota, Florida and plays baseball here.
Michaela Chan (MC): Why did you end up choosing baseball?
Jakobi Davis (JD): Baseball was a lifetime sport of mine - growing up I played football, baseball, and basketball. When the movie Concussion came out, my mom said "No" to football, so we were left with baseball and basketball. When I came to Cornell sophomore year, I committed to baseball, and that is where we are now.
MC: If you had to go on a roadtrip with two of your teammates, who would you choose?
JD: Elijah Diaz and Shane Russell, so I could sit in the back and watch the drama unfold. It would be like free entertainment for the entire duration of the road trip.
MC: Do you know where you would go?
JD: I have never been to the West Coast, and I know Elijah wants to, so I would choose the Pacific Northwest.
MC: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
JD: Teleportation without a doubt.
MC: Where would you teleport to?
JD: I would teleport to see my parents. They are overseas right now teaching in Vietnam, so I would love to say hi to them.
MC: What is your favorite thing about your hometown?
JD: My favorite thing about my hometown is the water. Being able to do all the water sports, fishing, and going out on a boat is so nice.
MC: What is your favorite thing about Ithaca?
JD: Definitely the nature here. It is a different terrain compared to Florida, and being in Ithaca we are able to get hills. Plus the snow, but it is a love-hate relationship because I do play an outside sport.
MC: What are a couple hobbies you have that are not related to your sport?
JD: I play guitar, fly fishing, and I like to write a lot.
MC: Is it journaling or like big pieces?
JD: It is more journaling, but I want to turn it into pieces. A big goal of mine is to become a published author. I recently reconnected with a childhood friend of mine who is 19, in the Army who has been on two tours, a poet, and he just published his own book!
MC: Something on your bucket list?
JD: Going to Antarctica because it is the last continent I haven’t been to. If I could be anywhere I would go there. It is a few week trip because you take a flight to Chile and then cruise down. You get to do a polar plunge, kayak with orca whales, sleep on icebergs, ...
MC: Do you have a favorite continent?
JD: I would say Asia because of the experiences I had there, but in terms of just beauty I would say Africa. I went on a 2 week safari there, so I was camping out with lions and hyenas.
MC: Do you have a favorite place you’ve been to?
JD: I would say Iceland because it is the most other worldly place I have been to. My favorite thing was hiking the upper glacier. Because I am studying renewable systems, I went into different geothermal plants there. Iceland is known for their geothermal plants and power and they showed me how they use steam to turn their turbines and how they redirect heat under their roads to defrost the snow.
MC: What is a core memory of yours at Cornell?
JD: There was one time Max Jenson and I stayed up super late to study for finals, and on our way back we got some rocks and threw them off the Thurston bridge, and it made such a satisfying thud. We were delirious because it was super late so we just kept laughing.
MC: What is something you wish people knew?
JD: Everybody is searching for some sort of purpose in life and for me it is travel. We talked about core memories, and I have thousands of memories from traveling. Something I wish people knew is that traveling is a singular key to peace and happiness in this lifetime.
MC: Do you want to talk about one of your core memories from traveling?
JD: Growing up I didn’t have this kind of hair, and in Egypt everyone was speaking to me in Arabic and everyone was speaking to people behind me in English. So they thought I was Egyptian, and it was the first place I was able to experience life as a local.
MC: Who are your top 3 music artists?
JD: Trippie Redd, Young Thug, and Zach Bryan. I did not really listen to the country especially when I lived in Florida, but being here I listen to it a lot more. Max actually put me on Zach Bryan and we are doing this flip flop thing where he shows me country and I show him rap.
MC: If you could be anyone in an alternate universe who would you be and why?
JD: Muhammad Ali because of the way he was able to manifest things. I try to replicate that a lot with the positive affirmations. To say “I am the greatest” and truly be the greatest, know what it is, and execute it- makes me want to be him.
MC: If you had to switch a day with your teammate, like a Freaky Friday, who would it be?
JD: I would say Noah Keller because we lead very different lives. He definitely knows how to relax and take it easy, so I would like to be him for a day.
MC: Is there a life motto you go by?
JD: To stay consistent and be consistent long enough to see a result.
MC: Anything else you want to throw out there?
JD: At this institution more than most, people have a need for perfection. I recently adopted a motto that “C’s get degrees” and I have only gotten one C but this mindset has allowed me to enjoy more of my time and be less stressed. I used to stress over very trivial things, and my first year here flew by because of that, so this quote helped a lot with my mindset.
Thank you to Jakobi for joining us, and BIG thanks to you for reading and supporting BRSN and my new column. Be sure to check out other written pieces, and stay tuned for the next edition of Big Red Spotlight soon!