Ivy rowers to unite in Boston

Any time you pit all eight Ivy League teams against one another in the same weekend, a competitive atmosphere is sure to form well beforehand.

Couple this anxiety with the prospect of facing the majority of the world's other top rowing programs in an event covered internationally by the media, and you will be hard pressed to find a rower of the Ancient Eight that hasn't been thinking about this weekend for a while.

But this year, at the most prestigious rowing venue of the fall, every competing member of the Ivy League will postpone their conference rivalry to unify in protest.

Instead of their uniforms, Ivy League rowers will wear T-shirts that communicate their frustration with the seven-week rest period stipulations imposed on them by the Council of Ivy Presidents in June.

"We are all angry about the new rules, and I hope wearing these shirts makes a difference," Penn senior captain Brian Beck said.

This summer, in a effort to re-direct the focus of its students, Ivy League Presidents mandated a seven-week rest period in which athletes cannot practice, contact their coaches or use official athletic facilities. These new stipulations mean that student athletes must deal with yet another limitation on training. The general sentiment amongst the athletes themselves is one of frustration and anger.

"School is already hard enough, these new rules cut the legs out from under us," Beck explains.

Instead of the browns, blues and reds traditionally worn, black will be the identifying color of Ivy League rowers this weekend on the Charles River. The dark T-shirts display a large number seven on the back with a line thru it. All involved with the demonstration hope that the grievances will register with Ivy League officials.

"It's just to show that they think the rules aren't fair," Penn crew head coach Stan Bergman said.

While Penn is an active participant in the demonstration, they haven't let their uniform change distract them from their lofty weekend goals.

"Our goal is to finish in the top ten," Bergman said.

Lofty goals considering the wealth of talent that the Red and Blue will trade strokes with this weekend. The U.S national team will send a boat to the Charles to attempt to claim the eighth-consecutive title for U.S Rowing in the men's championship eight race. Harvard will look to build on their convincing victory at the Stonehurst Regatta last weekend in Rochester, N.Y.

Despite its knowledge of the the immense talent that it will face, the Penn heavyweight crew team remains determined to show whoever is watching that the goals that they have set for themselves are reasonable.

"Finishing in the top ten is doable for us," Beck said.

Penn will send two heavyweight boats to Boston this weekend, including both a varsity and a freshman lineup.

Along with their statement to Ivy League officials, the Quakers hope to send the message that Penn crew will be a force to be reckoned with in the spring of 2003.

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