Elizabethtown College is known for its various clubs on campus, and it is expanding once again. The College has introduced the new sailing club this week. Students were very excited for this club to get started, but one challenge seemed to be in the way.
The club was unsure where to hold it, as it requires a large body of water. After brainstorming for a couple days, the club chose Lake Placida. Vice President for Student Life, Diversity & Inclusion Dr. Celestino Limas offered some words of encouragement for the newly formed club over email. “I believe the sailing club will be an excellent addition to campus. There has been a desire for many years that we have a sailing club to provide some connection to the “Lake” in Lake Placida and now we can say that dream is realized,” Limas said.
The lake came about when Etown purchased land to make a lake in 1923. There was a competition held at the time to name the lake, in which the junior class president at that time won. The alumni from the College awarded $5 to him for winning the competition. This amount equals around $70 today. The name of the lake was Wild Harmony. Since then, there have been a couple transformations to the lake as well as some name changes. We now know this space as Lake Placida.
The lake is home to ducks as well as fish and turtles. For Dr. David Bowne, associate professor of biology and environmental science, he does not seem to worry about the wildlife and the sailing club conflicting too much. However, he does want to remind the club to look out for the ducks. Avoiding the ducks in the lake could be a great way for students to test their skills in the water.
However, the turtles have something else on their minds. When asked about the new sailing club, one turtle said “*snaps aggressively.*” The club might have to look out for potential competition in the water as this could turn into another “West Side Story.” The turtles are very territorial (some people may call this turt-a-torial) and like to protect their fellow wildlife. The fish do enjoy the boats on the water because it takes up more space which means less fishing rods can trick them into thinking they are having a tasty treat.
Limas and Bowne had great tips for the club. Limas mentioned keeping notes as the club progresses forward. The reason for this is Director of Campus Security Andrew Powell, Director of Campus Security, might be interested in a land version of this for his team to patrol campus. Campus Security could team up with the engineering students to make this dream a reality.
As for Bowne, he mentions to watch for the water fountains in Lake Placida or else there might be a shipwreck. This is a big issue while sailing on the lake because there are two large fountains that easily cover the lake. The boat being used does take up a large portion of the lake, so the club is thinking of selling it and buying a smaller size.
Students are learning the different parts of the boat as well as how to properly use and take care of it. The club is thinking of pitching an idea to make the Etown club compete along with other sailing clubs.
While this does exist through the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the club has even bigger dreams. They hope to eventually reach out to the NCAA where they can be the first official competing sailing team.
