Meet Kavian Bina, NYU’s male Athlete of the Week. He is a freshman golfer from Villanova, Pa. He can be considered a walking billboard for NYU.
Sara Levy: Did choosing a college or university depend on the type of golf team it had?
Kavian Bina: It was definitely a factor but education was number one. I had the opportunity to play DI golf at Lafayette, but I chose NYU because it was so diverse and it was in the middle of the greatest city on earth.
SL: What do you enjoy most about playing for the men’s golf team?
KB: I really love bonding with the teammates on the bus rides and in the hotel the night before we play. I love the competition and the challenge of playing against other schools and players in varying conditions in many different locations.
SL: What attracted you to NYU?
KB: When I went to Admitted Students Day I really was blown away with the presentation of the school and how they were able to really show everything they had to offer. I left there feeling like there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do. It was an amazing feeling. I knew right away that I was going to NYU.
SL: How do you like living [at Hayden]?
KB: I am absolutely loving it. Everyone is eager to meet each other and they are all very warm. We have had great bonding moments during Welcome Week and I’m sure when golf season is over, I will be spending much more time with my Haydenite friends. It’s awesome because I will see some of my friends from Hayden outside the dorm talking and I’ll join right in and meet new people, too. For example, last night I saw a few friends and we all started to have a big freestyle rap battle outside of Hayden, and we met a lot of new friends and strangers. It’s [those experiences] that are really special.
SL: It’s general knowledge that it is kind of hard to find your niche or community here because of the campus [size] and the amount of students. How would you say your experience has been different than the average one?
KB: Right off the bat I had some friends that I made on the golf team, and for the most part I am very outgoing and extroverted. So that is probably one of the things that has helped me socialize and meet people really quickly. I’m a people person, so I tried to meet as many as I could and I made a lot of friends that way.
SL: That’s awesome, you’re like a walking billboard for NYU.
KB: Tiger Woods has always been my number one since I was a little kid, and I absolutely love him.
SL: What are you planning on majoring and minoring in?
KB: I want to double major in psych and music.
SL: And finally, just a little bit about yourself?
KB: I’m from Villanova, Pa. and I went to Radnor High School. I play jazz flute, I am a hip-hop dancer and a golfer. I love to party with my friends and family, and I am very outgoing.
A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Sept. 19 print edition. Sara Levy is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].