On Tap with ... Katlin Poladian

In 2008, she was awarded an Academic All-America and, in 2010, she was named to the All-Academic Team by the Association of College Water Polo Coaches. Poladian sat down with The Daily Princetonian to talk about her water polo history, her relationship with her freshman brother and her preferred life as a T-shirt.

Q: Where are you from and what is it like there?

A: I live in a little beach town in Orange County, Calif. Basically people go to the beach all day or try to be the best at surfing. Half of our school left at 10 a.m. every day to go to the beach.

Q: Some people have mixed feelings about the state of California. What would you say to these people?

A: SoCal is the best. It’s the better half of the state.

Q: What was your welcome to college moment?

A: My roommates were named Cara, Tara and Kara. That was interesting. But I think freshman week was really where it all came together. It was very welcoming.

Q: How long have you been playing water polo? How did you get started?

A: Basically since eighth grade. I got started because I was good at breaststroke and freestyle, and one day the water polo coach asked me to come to club water polo practice. It incorporated all of the basketball and softball background I had, and I realized I was faster in the water than on land.

Q: What has been your favorite class at Princeton so far?

A: Counting summers, the archaeological dig in France, ANT 315. Not counting summers, it would be ART 201: Roman Architecture. I also liked SOC 205: Sociology From E Street: Bruce Springsteen’s America.

Q: Do you have any pregame rituals?

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A: Dancing in the locker room. Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” is the best.

Q: What did you think of the video the men’s swim team made?

A: I have probably watched that video a thousand times. It’s the best. [Freshman] Daniel Hasler and I are now BFFs.

Q: Has anything embarrassing ever happened to you during a match?

A: In high school, some girl tried to bite my thumb. I seriously thought it was going to fall off.

Q: How long can you hold your breath?

A: Oh, I have asthma. But I’d still say at least one length of the pool.

Q: Who is your strangest teammate?

A: I’m probably the strange one, but I’d definitely also say our freshmen, Molly McBee and Katie Rigler. Those two sing Disney show tunes in the shower. We definitely have some quirky, fun, strange people.

Q: What’s it like having your brother, freshman volleyball player Ryan Poladian, at the same school?

A: I love it. If people haven’t seen him and me in Wu, then something is wrong. I don’t know how he likes it, but I absolutely love it.

Q: What’s it like treading for hours on end? Do you think you would be able to handle some type of flooding catastrophe?

A: Absolutely. I think it’s funny when people ask, “Do you really have to tread water for that long? Don’t you get to touch the bottom?” It’s actually 10 feet deep. I could tread for days. It’s so natural. It’s like walking.

Q: What’s the best thing about being an athlete at Princeton?

A: I’d say the camaraderie. Cheering on other teams and having people come to your games is great. I couldn’t imagine not being an athlete.

Q: What’s the worst thing about being an athlete at Princeton?

A: Getting through the snow in the winter when the walkways haven’t been cleared is awful. Morning practices on Mondays and Tuesdays are my least favorite, but they’re worth it in the long run. We’re sure that USC is doing that every day and not just one day a week.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing song on your iPod?

A: I have the “Barbie Girl” song in Spanish and English and every Enrique Iglesias song in Spanish and English.

Q: What’s your stance on Rebecca Black’s “Friday”?

A: The lyrics are insightful and legendary. “We-we-we so excited ... Gotta get down on Friday.”

Q: Considering that you are from California, was Princeton the first time you saw snow?

A: Yes! I was screaming and running around in my rainbow flip-flops the first day it snowed freshman year. I also thought it was little white flowers blowing in the wind, and then I realized it was snow. It was so exciting. I never had seen snow fall out of the sky.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do when not practicing?

A: Going to the movies if I have time. I like just chatting. I also love being an RCA. I also love getting late meal, even though I don’t have it anymore as a junior. I’ve been in USG for a year, and I’m working on getting late meal options for upperclassmen, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Q: If you were a T-shirt, what color would you be?

A: I would be yellow with a happy face on it like the one from “Forrest Gump.”

Q: If you could have any super power, what would it be?

A: To fly. Or to apparate, but I guess that’s also sort of like flying.