Sounds of College Life with the Rowing Club
Find your rhythm on the water with Miami University’s Rowing Club
Sounds of College Life with the Rowing Club
Find your rhythm on the water with Miami University’s Rowing Club
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Rowing Club or the Major Insight Podcast? Visit their websites for more information.
James Loy
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the hosts and guests may or may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Miami University.
Student
I'm a senior. I'm about to graduate, and I've done a lot of cool things in college.
Student
I never thought that I was going to be an intramural curler. I never thought that I was going to be the student body president.
Student
These four years have been the biggest amount of growth I've seen in my entire life.
Student
It's not just about the academics, but like what kind of person you turn into, which is super cool.
Michaela
This time, this time, I wish we did like a singing one, so then I could sing the intro. Okay. Anyways, hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Sounds of College Life. Where did we go this time, Katie?
Katie
We went to the rowing club.
Michaela
Okay, very cool. What is the rowing club all about?
Katie
This was a really good escape from like the academics and kind of the craziness that comes with college-they're able to just like go out in nature and just like do something fun, move their body. It was really fun. We went out to like Acton Lake in Houston Woods. There's a huge lake out there. I didn't even know was there.
Michaela
So cool. I know. I always picture rowing as one of those sports that's like prestigious or associated with an Ivy League university. Yeah. Kind of reminds me of like rugby in that way, so I think it's cool that we are kind of exploring what rowing looks like because obviously this is an opportunity for kids at a lot of colleges. Yeah, yeah, I'm excited to see what they're all about and excited to listen to. Yeah.
Erin
Honestly, we have these really early morning practices before we go off to regattas, and it's just a really magical time to be out on the water because it'll be pitch black, and you can see all the stars out on the lake, and no one else is out there, and it's super foggy. You can see your breath, and it's just dead quiet, and it's just like a great way to connect with nature and your teammates. You feel so in sync with the people out there. Well, my name is Erin Wodzinski. I am a strategic communication and psychology double major with a minor in journalism, and I am the vice president of the Miami University Rowing Club.
Corinne G
Focus up. Move together. Stay in control. Focus up. Press in control. We are shifting up. Do you feel this rush? Because I do.
Lily
I do.
Corinne G
I do. Lily does. Slow, tense legs. All right. Hi, my name's Corinne Griffin, and I'm a strategic communication major, and I'm a coxswain on the rowing club. So, like, a coxswain is the immediate leader in the boat. All of my rowers listen to me. I like to joke that I don't row. I yell at my athletes to row. Keep it at this 28, guys. You're shifting up. I want us to shift down. My rudder is on. We're gonna make our turn right now. Just stay focused. I'll let you know if I need portside pressure. Keep it light, starboards, right now.
Liam
So my name is Liam McKernan. I'm a sophomore psychology student, and I'm the regatta coordinator of the Miami University Rowing Club.
Michaela
I feel like I only ever see like people rowing at colleges at like Harvard and like Yale and like all of the like Ivy like it seems like a very like ...
Liam
It's niche sport it's a very niche sport
Liam
Yeah exactly and we are kind of all coming together to do a sport that's unique to the typical American sport I would say you you know you have basketball football baseball all the all the others your traditional sports, and I don't think anybody really thinks of rowing.
Rowing Club Member - Male
Ready, row. I should have worn my varsity jacket.
Rowing Club Member - Female
Um. Yeah. So, and people rarely fall in the water in rowing, but it happens. It's called catching a crab. So, when you're rowing, sometimes your ore can get caught in the water, and it'll hit people in the stomach, and the power is sometimes like hard enough that it'll knock people out in the boat. I remember in high. We did like a learn to row camp, and there was this like little tiny middle schooler. She probably weighed like 90 pounds at the time, and like just caught a massive grab and flew out of the boat. I mean, I think the most memorable things are just the races, like the feeling that you get after having a really great race and like working really hard with your teammates when it feels like it's really a team effort are always going to be the most memorable.
Corinne G
Good, good, good, good. All righty. Um. Oh, let's see. I'll have you guys sit ready at the catch. Crouch forward, sitting nice and tall. Make that connection with the water together. Ready, row. Notice how I see like a zigzag with your oars. I want that just to be one oar I'm looking at. If I were to only look at Loyly's ore or at Demetrius's ore only, in control. All right, let's watch these early roll-ups again. Fight through this wind. Inside hand only as well. Fight through this weight, guys. Focus. Focus. Every three strokes, I'll count them out. Take a peek at your oar. One. Don't look. Look forward. Two. Three. Take a peek. Make sure you're not digging too deep. Focus. All right, take a breather.
Rowing Club Member - Male
I really can't stress enough how much this group has changed my view of rowing in college, I was really scared to pursue it at first because I didn't think I was up for the challenge. But we're super focused when we're actually in practice. But everyone knows how to have fun, and it honestly makes it so much easier. So I'd say my favorite part about rowing club is just the people.
Rowing Club Member - Female
Yeah, I think my advice for someone that doesn't have experience with rowing that wants to join would probably just be to do it. I would say 75% of our team, if not even more of that, doesn't have experience, so it's really like not a big deal.
Liam
And that's kind of what makes it so good. It's I would say it's a eye-opening experience for everybody that tries it, and it really creates a strong group of people that are kind of bonded through this new experience.
Erin
Yeah, and everyone is just so willing to help you learn. There's so many resources, and you just won't feel behind it all. Like everyone's kind of in the same boat, literally. Awesome. And there's just lots of team bonding and things that we do that make it really special. Someone who's really good at it should do it for this.
Rowing Club Member - Male
Whoa, whoa, wait! Why am I being ... ? Because you're loud. Loud? Ok. One. Two
Everyone
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