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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

    New TCU Rowing Club hopes to add more members

    New+TCU+Rowing+Club+hopes+to+add+more+members

    A new club at TCU looks to promote the sport of rowing as it searches for more students to get on board.

    Rachel Bynum, a first-year movement science major, started the TCU Rowing Club this year after rowing for four years in high school. She said she came to TCU with an intention of forming a club, knowing she wanted to row in college.

    Claire Kylander, a sophomore nursing major, said when she heard there was going to be a rowing club, there was no question about her joining.

    “It’s an awesome sport and I think people should really try it because it is so different from anything they’ve ever done before,” Kylander said. “It’s really cool trying to start something totally new and different. People will love it. I guarantee it.”

    Since TCU does not have a boathouse or water access, the university’s Rowing Club is “under the umbrella” of the Fort Worth Rowing Club, said David DeCorrevont, the club’s vice president.

    The Fort Worth club, which is located on the Trinity River on Beach Street, provides the TCU sport club with insurance, equipment, coaching and housing for boats.

    “It’s a very supportive community,” said DeCorrevont, a sophomore business major. “As soon as they heard TCU was trying to start a rowing club, they were all on board and trying to help us out.”

    Right now, Bynum said the club is trying to get more members so they can build up the team to become competitive in the next couple of years.

    DeCorrevont said most of the 11 members aren’t familiar with the sport.

    “I think it’s a steep learning curve, but if you stick with it for a month or so, you get familiar with it,” DeCorrevont said. “Once you get past the initial stages of it, I think it definitely is a very attractive sport to people. They get very locked into it.”

    However, the sport does come with some costs.

    Bynum said the $150 dues this semester would most likely double next year. A new 8-man boat can cost up to $40,000. Bynum’s old rowing team donated two 8-man boats to the TCU club, and her grandfather purchased five rowing machines, while her father purchased 20 oars.

    DeCorrevont said that although it is an expensive sport, he likes it because it is team-oriented. Kylander said that teamwork is also what attracts her about the sport.

    “It’s the ultimate team sport, which I love. It’s win together, lose together,”Kylander said. “When you are in that boat, you are a part of a whole in that boat. It’s not just you. You’re doing it for your teammates and your other boat mates. It brings you closer to the people you row with.”

    Eventually, Bynum hopes the team will join the American Collegiate Rowing Association and compete against other rowing clubs across the nation. Bynum said students interested in joining the club should email either her or DeCorrevont.

    “It’s such an amazing sport. The bigger it gets, the more people who do it, the more people who love it,” Kylander said. “I’m really excited to see how much it can grow in the next few years.”