WGOLF: Pride Profile - Jai Ghuman

Like most student-athletes at Hofstra, Jai Ghuman is not just defined by the sport she plays. A senior on the Pride Women's Golf Team, Ghuman is also an accomplished poet who self-published a collection of her work titled Ramblings of a Perpetual Drama Queen in 2015.

Growing up in Chandigarh, India, Ghuman developed an interest in both poetry and golf as a seventh grader. "I have been writing for as long as I could remember, but became interested in poetry in grade seven," said Ghuman. "I enjoyed poetry in my English literature classes and the more I read, the more I thought that I could write it as well. It started out with me emulating the styles of my favorite poets but as time went on I was able to develop my own style."

Ghuman honed her craft over the years, storing her poems in a shoebox in her family's home. Her parents, who had always encouraged their daughter's writing, encouraged her to think about taking the next step with her writing. "They had been asking me to do something with my poems for a while – organize them, throw out the bad ones, keep the good ones, etc…" Ghuman explained. "Then in the summer of 2015 they persuaded me to put everything together and get it published. So the book is actually a collection of poems I had been writing since the start."

As for the title of the book, Ghuman explains, "my parents have always called me a little drama queen as I was always involved in acting during school productions and because they felt I had a way of making things seem bigger than they really were. So the title just seemed to fit on multiple levels."

An aspect of Ramblings of a Perpetual Drama Queen that Ghuman is especially proud of is the fact that 10 percent of sales proceeds go towards the funding of programs at Developing Indigenous Resources. "It is a non-profit organization in India that I interned for in the summer of 2015," explained Ghuman. "They have a number of different programs, including spreading awareness on health and safety precautions especially in the summer months as malaria and tuberculosis are common in the undeveloped areas of the cities. They educate people on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of disease. The projects that I was involved in during my internship were mainly vocational training for women to help them stand on their own two feet, as many came from abusive relationships."

On the subject of women's issues, Ghuman cites her poem No Women, No Rape as one that means a great deal to her. "I am really proud of that poem," Ghuman said. "It was inspired by a BBC documentary called "India's Daughter" that detailed the number of assaults in India that go unreported, and how the ones that are reported usually result in the victim being blamed for the attack."

While some of the works in the book touch on serious subjects, others are a bit more light-hearted as Ghuman draws inspiration for her poetry from her everyday life. "Inspiration is everywhere," she says. "If you go through the book, you find poems on a variety of subjects. Many of my ideas come from current events or anecdotes I draw on from family and friends. Inspiration pops in at anytime. I have scribbled on napkins, bathroom walls, you name it."

Sometimes the creative juices will flow on the golf course while waiting to hit a shot. "This is something that happens quite often, actually," Ghuman said. "I believe there are two or three golf-inspired poems in the book."

Victoria Snak, a Hofstra Golf teammate and a fellow poet, is one of Ghuman's trusted confidants. "I usually don't like to share my work until it is complete, but Victoria and I are sort of poetry buddies, which we discovered during freshman year. So I do run things by her to get feedback, which is really nice."

In addition to being a close friend, Snak is also one of Ghuman's biggest fans. "Jai and I took a poetry class together and I loved hearing her wide range of experiences- from charged anthems for equality to heartbreak and stories about India. Her writing has such a beautiful and unique voice to it, so that even if you have never traveled across the world, or played a round of golf (she wrote a funny piece from the perspective of a golf ball) you feel as though you have lived those moments with her."

On the course, Ghuman has been a fixture in the lineup in each of her three seasons and has three top 10 finishes to her credit. New Women's Golf Coach John Jordan, who started at Hofstra over the summer is looking forward to Ghuman's contributions on the course. "Jai is a key member of our team. As one of four seniors, I will look for her to be a team leader and help us improve as a unit."

As she prepares to enter her final year of college, Ghuman has her sights set on the future. A double major in English and psychology (one of just 10 student-athletes at Hofstra with a dual major) with a minor in journalism, Ghuman, a two-time Women's Golf Coaches Association Scholar All-American, plans to pursue a PhD in psychology and eventually run her own practice. But writing will always be part of her life. "Writing will always be there. You need something to feed your soul in addition to something else that actually feeds your tummy," she said. "I plan on continuing to write poetry but I am also dabbling in short stories and what I hope to do next is publish a collection of those."

Golf will also remain an important part of Ghuman's life and is on par with her love of writing. "Both poetry and golf came into my life at the same time. My parents introduced me to golf and that will always be a part of me. But poetry is a passion as well. Poetry is more cathartic, while golf is more for the fun of it."

Ramblings of a Perpetual Drama Queen is available for sale in bookstores throughout India as well as through the publisher's website.

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Players Mentioned

Jai Ghuman: 5' 3"; Senior

Victoria Snak: 5' 7"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Jai Ghuman
: 5' 3"; Senior

Victoria Snak
: 5' 7"; Senior