Category: News (page 1 of 3)

Club Swim Update (July 10, 2020)

It is a crazy time to be a swimmer at Dartmouth!

Since campus was first closed in March, Club Swim has been out of the pool, and hosting bi-weekly Zooms for our members to stay connected. In late June, Dartmouth announced its plans for the next academic year, and we are still determining what this means for Club Swim next year, and are figuring out how we’re going to train, grow our team, and have a fun year while being safe.

More recently, we found out about Dartmouth’s plans to close its Varsity Swim and Dive program. Our hearts go out to all the Varsity swimmers reacting to the news. We are still figuring out what this means for our organization, but, as always, all are welcome at Club Swim.

Swimmer of the Week! #15

Hi everyone! Sorry for the break in posts, but we’re back with a new swimmer of the week! This week’s SOTW is Cam, a ’21 and one of our captains – catch him giving out the workout ball after practice, attempting to solicit secrets from teammates at social events, and trying to break his 200 breast record at our home meet this weekend!

Name: Cam Wright
Major(s): Mathematical Data Science
Hometown: Belchertown, MA
Class year: 2021
Age and/or birthday: 3
Hobbies: Listening to music, watching sports, hanging out with club swim
Favorite movie: A Few Good Men
Favorite season (e.g. fall, spring, summer, winter): Spring obviously
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Give enough to my parents to let them retire and then probably spend the rest irresponsibly (jet ski, things like that)
Favorite Dartmouth memory (thus far): Green Key last year
Favorite Club Swim memory: Ivies last year
Goal for this coming year: Get my 200 breast record to a respectable time

Blog Post #11: Passing the Torch

Hello to Club Swim, current and previous members, parents, alum, and all of our readers! Kimmy here! (A forewarning that this is going to be long, so sorry!)

I wasn’t sure how to start this blog post, so I’ll start off with our swim meet from this past weekend.

**drumroll**

We had Ivies!!!! Everyone did incredible, and we all had so much fun – both in the water, at the poolside cheering, and of course at the afterparty while socializing with the other club swim teams!

I want to give a shoutout to all of the current leadership that made Ivies happen, and to all of the drivers. And in particular, I want to give a few special shoutouts to Michael Sun (our new but already veteran head coach), Max Orman-Kollmar (master of the Airbnb situation and also my adopted little brother), Che Esch (my shuttling-people buddy and also mental support during the car rides), and Libby Decker (for our amazing suits and driving everyone)!

It’s honestly bittersweet and a little surreal, being in my senior spring, no longer being head coach or on “relevant leadership” (as Michael may say), and having finished my last meet of my college career (if I can call it that, haha).

I think all of the seniors on Saturday were thinking the same thing. We couldn’t believe we were done, even as we took a photo together commemorating the completion of our last Ivies. There were some tears, lots of hugging, and just overall disbelief. We’re all heading off to different places, and already currently are doing completely different things on campus – but Club Swim was where our friendships started.

I can feel the tears welling up a bit as I type this, mind and heart racing as well. Part of it is from a quiet sadness. Most people vaguely know that I have been head coach for Club Swim for a long time, particularly due to the close relationship that I have with our supervisors Heather and Joann. I think fewer know that I have been the coach since the end of my freshman year/my sophomore fall.

In my 4 years here, I have been involved with so many things on this campus, both academic and extracurricular. But throughout my entire college career, Club Swim has always meant the most to me. Even on days when I was about to cry from frustration, getting to the pool and seeing my team, coaching, and working with members somehow has always made me feel better. …Well except maybe on the day that Matt and Khoa whacked a bouncy ball towards my face. 😀

Perhaps it was the feeling of having a community to come back to, perhaps it was the smiles on members’ faces when they saw me and said hello – or perhaps it was seeing the emotions of delight and satisfaction when there was improvement for a team member. Perhaps it’s the fact that some of my craziest stories and lifetime’s closest friendships have come from Club Swim, and I trust these friends with all of my heart. I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to pinpoint the reason, but I do know that I will never forget this warm feeling of belonging.

People always tell me “Club Swim can’t do without you,” but I think, at least for the first few months after graduating, I won’t be able to do without Club Swim. Mixed amongst the sad tears are tears of pride and joy, because I am 120% sure that we are leaving the team in capable hands. I couldn’t be more excited about what Michael and the rest of leadership have planned for coming years. (And yes, I will be trying to visit next year when I can.)

Love and hugs to you all! Hopefully I don’t cry at end-of-season banquet…

Signing off officially as leadership,

Kimmy Ma

Swimmer of the Week! #14

Welcome back to 18S! The first SOTW this term is our vice president and Zumba leader, Che! He’s a smiling and gentle presence on our team, is the only person (besides Kimmy) willing to swim 500s, and you can always catch him eating Hop burger specials. Read on to get to know a little more about him!

Name: Che Esch

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Blog Post #9: from the retired social chair!

Hi Club Swim!

It’s me, your favorite retired social chair! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Campbell, I’m an ’18, and I’ve been part of club swim since the first week of my freshman fall. It’s hard to believe I only have one more quarter left as an official member (but don’t worry, I’ll still be lurking in the groupme long after I’ve graduated), and as week 9 is wrapping up the nostalgia is definitely hitting hard. So join me as I procrastinate studying for finals with a trip down club swim memory lane! Continue reading

Swimmer of the Week! #13

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY to our newly crowned club president! To commemorate the lovely Rachel Martin‘s 21st birthday… we present to you all… her swimmer of the week spotlight! (hahaha) Rachel has been a consistent and reliable member of Club Swim since her first term on the team, and we’re so happy that she will be helping to lead the club this coming year!

Name: Rachel Martin

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Blog Post #5: Are You There, Friends? It’s me, Sarah

Are You There, Friends? It’s me, Sarah

(Alternate titles: “Everyone IS Hanging Out Without Me!” or “Seeking a Friend For the End of the Term”)

HI Club Swim and greetings from DC! I’m currently sitting at my desk in my lab on my lunch break (10:50 AM), and I mean it when I say I miss you. Although the leftover pizza I am eating is far more delicious than yet another New England salad from KAF, I miss our grim FFB lunches from last term. Sharing the grim with Thuy-Vy, Jacob, Kimmy, Rachel, Khoa or Nan always made the salad taste much better.

Right now, I feel like I’m in a second adolescence — that is to say, awkward. My dad calls my lifestyle “adulting junior” because although I am living at home, I am faced with adult lifestyle tasks such as commuting, cooking for myself, and making friends in the real world. The first two are going great–I can make fish like nobody’s business, and the buffalo chicken soup I made for my brother’s high school teachers was deemed the best of the selection (suck it, other PTA moms!). The Metro has proven to have excellent people watching — for instance, today I saw a grown-ass man reading a book called The Greatness Guide…in public! One day I hope to have that sort of humility.  Continue reading

Blog Post #4

On Coming Home

After two months in London, I finally went swimming at the London Aquatics Centre just a five-minute walk from my dorm. Walking into the 2012 Olympic pool was incredibly…familiar. Continue reading

Swimmer of the Week! #12

Back to introducing the rest of our seniors before we graduate – this post is a spotlight for Khoa Tran, one of our team captains and also a fantastic dancer (holla at the Street Soul executive director 😉 )!

Please do take a look below to check out more about Khoa!


Name: Khoa Tran Continue reading

Blog Post #2!!!!

Helloooo team, alumni, parents! We are starting our first ever blog post series, to continue sharing a more personal side of the team and leadership through a snippet of our regular/every day lives! Our second blog post is from Jacob Cruger, who is one of our seniors!

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