Off the mat, Scotton does it all

If anyone at Princeton has trouble keeping his resume down to one page, it is sophomore Danny Scotton.

Scotton is a starter for the varsity wrestling team, but that is only the beginning for Scotton. He is also a co-coordinator for the Black Student Union (BSU)'s Leadership and Mentoring Program (LAMP) and a member of the executive boards of the BSU, the Black Men's Awareness Group (BMAG) and Hip-Hop: Art & Life.

Scotton also sings with the Princeton University Gospel Ensemble and is a founding member of the new a cappella group Nassoul, which had its first performance earlier this month.

He dances with the Black Arts Company (BAC), and he is also part of Athletes in Action and the Impact Christian Fellowship.

"It gets hectic at times, especially between wrestling and LAMP," Scotton said. "It's all about time management and no sleep. I went to one of the McGraw time management classes, which helped, and my Microsoft Outlook calendar is crucial. I can't afford to waste any time, but everything that I'm a part of feels worthwhile."

With so many commitments, Scotton has to prioritize, and wrestling comes first.

"Wrestling is more of a co-curricular than an extracurricular," Scotton said. "Wrestling is where I spend most of my time, between training, lifting and losing weight."

Wrestling at 133 pounds last year, Scotton won 14 matches and competed at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships. This year, Scotton has faced a difficult transition in bumping up to 141 pounds as the Tigers have reshuffled their lineup.

"Danny is a hard worker and has become one of the best leaders on the team in terms of working out," head coach Chris Ayres said.

"He had a lot going on in the beginning of the year, and he seemed over-involved, but at this point he's got it figured out, and his extracurriculars do not affect his commitment to the team."

"He's a role model," Ayres added. "He shows you can take advantage of everything Princeton offers and be successful in several areas. He just appreciates the opportunities Princeton has provided, and he wants to get the most of his time here."

Scotton's commitment to the full Princeton experience nearly led to his quitting the wrestling team before this season. But Scotton, who walked onto the team at the start of his freshman year, has renewed his commitment under first-year head coach Ayres and his staff.

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"It's a tough sport, but at the end of the day I didn't want to look back and have any regrets," Scotton said.

"You only have four years to compete in collegiate wrestling. I consider myself a pretty good wrestler, and with the new coaching talent I think I can compete on a national level. I want to be All-American, and I'm only a sophomore, but the coaches say they see a lot of potential."

Next on Scotton's list of priorities is LAMP, which he joined as a mentee last year. As co-coordinator of the program today, Scotton matches incoming freshmen with upperclassmen mentors. He then organizes study breaks, academic workshops and field trips for the mentors and their mentees.

"I was really intimidated before [joining LAMP], not knowing anyone on campus," Scotton said. "But I met a lot of people in other groups through LAMP — it got me my start at Princeton."

LAMP led to involvement in a long list of clubs, and Scotton feels a special commitment to each.

"People ask me when I have time just to chill," Scotton said, "but the time I spend in these clubs is that time. When I'm learning a new dance or discussing some national issue — that's when I have fun."

Still, even Scotton has a limit. This semester, Scotton has tried to tone down his involvement in certain groups, even passing up an opportunity to choreograph his own BAC dance performance.

"I'm pretty much at capacity right now," Scotton said.

That did not stop him, however, from bickering the Cap & Gown Club, which accepted him as a member of its sophomore class.

"All my organizations are basically just groups of friends, so they support me," Scotton said. "Then again, they aren't afraid to tell me when I need to slow down."