News-Letter

Media Credit: Shiv Gandhi [Click to enlarge]

Feeling lethargic and lonely? Have a case of the winter blues? Can't wait to swim in the ocean over Spring Break? Well, Hopkins may not have the salt water, but it does have the next-best thing.

For the first time ever, Hopkins is now home to a student-run Swim Club, founded by its current co-presidents, Katelyn Saner and Christina Long. According to Saner, the club is for "anyone, really anyone." Some members have previously swum on the Hopkins varsity team, while others are merely beginners. The swimming lanes are divided accordingly, so that swimmers of all skill levels can enjoy themselves.

The less-experienced swimmers are taught the different strokes while the veterans are given a workout to accomplish, creating an environment where anyone who enjoys swimming can have a good time and get some exercise at his or her own pace. The club provides a very relaxed atmosphere where people with like interests can meet and do what they like, no matter what their level of expertise.

Saner herself has swum competitively since the age of 10. She swam for her high-school team, but after coming to Hopkins, she missed swimming. She figured other swimmers like herself, not on the varsity team, felt the same way.

Saner and Long created the group because they felt it was something that the campus was severely lacking. Together, they undertook the task of creating a new club. Despite the seemingly daunting nature of creating a club out of thin air, Saner claims that the process of making her own group was actually "very easy.

All we had to do was talk to the club sports director and the aquatic director, both of whom were very supportive. We asked for pool time, were given it, put up some flyers, had an info meeting to see if anyone was interested (around 40 people showed up, which was definitely a good sign), and then started practicing this semester. It was quite easy; I'd recommend it to anyone who wants something that Hopkins doesn't have."

In addition to having a more relaxed environment than varsity sports, the Swim Club is also less time-consuming and less stressful. The Club practices at the pool in the O'Connor Rec Center on Sunday evenings from 7 to 8, Wednesdays evenings from 8 to 9, and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. To be considered an actual member of the group it is recommended that you come at least two nights a week; however if you can only manage to show up once a week, they promise not to cut off your head.

The club seems to be growing in popularity by the minute as more and more recently, there are between 20 to 30 people who show up each night, with even more people on Sundays. The club has attracted some graduate students as well.

While nobody can figure out why there wasn't a swim club before, everybody involved is very excited about the gaining popularity of the group as well as the prospects for the future. Next semester they hope to hold a fundraiser -- most likely a swim-a-thon -- in order to raise money to compete in a U.S. Swimming meet. While this will most likely not be a requirement for club members, it will give those members who are used to a more competitive form of swimming a chance to swim against other people.

In the meantime, people are enjoying the club as is. One freshman member says that she "loves how the Swim Club gives me a nice place to exercise in a more fun and unique way than just running on a treadmill. It's also a great way to meet people you may not have run into otherwise." If you want to become part of the club, feel free to drop by any time they meet. Saner and Long would love for you to join.

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