Push-ups were his drill instructor’s favorite “activity” and Hanif  “Sonny” Davis did them for hours at a time.

But that wasn’t the worst part of Army boot camp at Fort Sill, Okla.

The 12-mile, non-stop marches carrying 60 to 75 pounds and spending two minutes in a gas chamber were much worse.

^{Hanif Davis ' 07 and his mom, Sheryl Powell.}

“It was the toughest 12 weeks of my life, but at the same time, it was the greatest experience I ever had,” said Davis, a 2007 Keuka College graduate who is now serving in Iraq.

Prior to shipping out, Davis admitted to being a little nervous, but insisted that he won’t be scared.

“The adrenaline increases every day, but I know I will remain calm on the battlefield,” he said.

Davis is proud to help defend his country and compares the feeling to when he played basketball at Keuka.

“I took pride in defending our home court and I will take that same intensity to defending this nation,” he explained.

Davis, who earned a criminal justice degree at Keuka, doesn’t plan to make the military his career.

“I’ve always wanted to be a detective, and I would still like to get into investigative work once I return from Iraq,” he said.

He had hoped to use his degree to land a job in law enforcement after graduation but became a little impatient.

“You can’t find a job right away,” he said. “You have to take a test and there’s a long process that goes along with it.”

So, he jumped at the chance to join the Army and before he knew it, a drill instructor was screaming at him. They were in his face and the faces of his fellow recruits as soon as they got off the plane, according to Davis.

“It was out of this world; you could not do anything without asking permission first.”

While most newly minted college degree holders would prefer putting up with tests and waiting a long time for the results to Army boot camp and risking life and limb in Iraq, it wasn’t out of character for Davis, who not only was a standout basketball player at Keuka but a stand-up guy as well.

“I love making a difference in people’s lives, and I believe I did that during my time at Keuka,” said Davis, who was involved in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. In fact, he and his “little” maintain a strong relationship to this day.

Davis wasn’t a BMOC-type, but he was popular among students, faculty, and staff alike. It seems that he knew everyone and everyone knew him. And now that he is stationed in Iraq, the Keuka campus is thinking about him.

“I pray that Hanif stays safe and I wish him luck,” said Tom Flood, men’s hoop coach.

“Whether I live or die, it makes me proud to know that I will be a part of history,” said Davis. “God bless [everyone at Keuka College].”

And Keuka wishes “Sonny” Godspeed. 

-- Anthony Affissio '08