2008 Woodie Awards
Height Ain't Nothin But A Number
Tom Conboy and Abe Woldselassie
By: Olivia Provan, Spotlight
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Spotlight
Abe Woldeslassie and Tom Conboy have been playing basketball together since the age of 15. Despite the 12 inches and wide range of political views between them, both Woleslassie and Conboy have made a significant impact on the Macalester basketball team and social scene alike. With the season coming to an end, we sat down with these two hoopsters to find out what life is like as a social conservative at Mac and why winning isn't really everything.
MW: Abe, you were a transfer from St. Thomas. What prompted your switch to Macalester?
AW: Well, I originally applied here right out of high school. St. Thomas wasn't getting it done for me. I reapplied as a transfer, and I talked to my main man, Tom Conboy. He suggested that I transfer to Macalester. So I reapplied as a transfer and here we are.
So you two knew each other prior to Macalester?
TC: We played basketball together back in the day. We went to camp together when we were 15. We were reunited through a mutual friend at the U of M and both ended up hanging out at his house together freshmen and sophomore years. From then on it was a pretty consistent theme. I was trying to get him to transfer here because he is a good dude and a great basketball player. I thought he could obviously come help us.
How would you say the two schools compare?
AW: St Thomas is mostly filled with students from suburban Minnesota with middle to upper class backgrounds. It's a different vibe. I guess it's more diverse here. Maybe not so diverse politically, but we shouldn't go there now.
How would you describe your dynamic on the basketball court? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
TC: Well, it has been fun having Abe on the team. He is so fast that as long as I run the floor I know he is going to find me and help me make a play. That's nice. He does so many other things well like shoot the ball and penetrate the perimeter. He opens things up for me and everyone else.
MW: Abe, you were a transfer from St. Thomas. What prompted your switch to Macalester?
AW: Well, I originally applied here right out of high school. St. Thomas wasn't getting it done for me. I reapplied as a transfer, and I talked to my main man, Tom Conboy. He suggested that I transfer to Macalester. So I reapplied as a transfer and here we are.
So you two knew each other prior to Macalester?
TC: We played basketball together back in the day. We went to camp together when we were 15. We were reunited through a mutual friend at the U of M and both ended up hanging out at his house together freshmen and sophomore years. From then on it was a pretty consistent theme. I was trying to get him to transfer here because he is a good dude and a great basketball player. I thought he could obviously come help us.
How would you say the two schools compare?
AW: St Thomas is mostly filled with students from suburban Minnesota with middle to upper class backgrounds. It's a different vibe. I guess it's more diverse here. Maybe not so diverse politically, but we shouldn't go there now.
How would you describe your dynamic on the basketball court? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
TC: Well, it has been fun having Abe on the team. He is so fast that as long as I run the floor I know he is going to find me and help me make a play. That's nice. He does so many other things well like shoot the ball and penetrate the perimeter. He opens things up for me and everyone else.
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