Emily Hughes is going to Harvard

[Debbie S]

From the USFSA website (also some other news tidbits, but mostly old news):

http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=38491

She'll work with Mark Mitchell and Peter Johannson while she's at school and take lessons from Bonni when she's home.

While I have no doubts about her ability to combine school with skating, Harvard's academic calendar is not ideal: fall semester exams are actually in January instead of December - the first 2 weeks of Jan are reading period and exams are the last 2 weeks. Nats next year (have the dates for '09 been announced yet?) is Jan 20-27, which means that Emily will likely have to arrange to take her exams at a different time. I'm assuming her professors and the school will be accommodating, but it will certainly be tough to ramp up her training for the biggest comp of the year when she's got final exams to study for.

[Lark]

I think going to college full-time is a badddd idea for Emily.

She did not do very well at Worlds this year. How does she plan on improving with practice and schooling?

Prime skating age for Ladies seems to be 16-24. Would it kill Emily to either postpone school for a couple of years, or just go part-time?

Of course I know it is not my decision, but I really like her and do not want her to not make Worlds because of the possible overabundance of work.

[Schmeck]

Mark and Peter are great - we see them at the club a lot. Guess we get to see Emily skate there too! Harvard also has its own two ice surfaces, wonder if she'll train there as well? SCOB has lots of ice time though, so hopefully we'll see her a few times.

Nobody mentioned this at the club last night, but we were all pretty tired...