This year is special for the Wichita State rowing team as the group celebrates 50 years of rowing, racing and paddling.
The team kicked off its season with the seventh annual S’mores and Oars event on Wednesday afternoon, offering activities such as boat riding, yard games, and of course, s’mores.
To celebrate the 50th-anniversary milestone, Shocker Rowing will host special events such as an alumni weekend in April when they will host the regional championship. Rowing head coach Calvin Cupp said that weekend will allow alumni to come in and see what the team has become.
“Traditions connect people across generations,” Cupp said. “We (at Wichita State) have some good traditions, and we also don’t have some things. And so when you have programs like ours that have been around this long, there’s a long-standing tradition, there’s a connection with alumni there. There’s a sense of pride.”
Some current rowers seem to feel that “sense of pride,” such as sophomore varsity rower Dakota Widen. Widen was inspired by her cousin to try rowing and said she was addicted within weeks.
“I didn’t really like the early mornings,” Widen said. “So I talked to coach Cupp, and he convinced me, but it’s been worth it ever since. It’s changed my life.”
Widen, who has undergone four hip surgeries, said she was pleasantly surprised she could still find a sport to compete in.
“I’ve always wanted to be a collegiate athlete,” Widen said. “I never thought it would be possible until I came into rowing.”
Even though the season has just started, some athletes have already made memories.
“Signing (day) was hilarious,” freshman novice rower Kendal Marian said. “I signed my life away, as we like to joke. We were laughing our heads off most of the time.”
Cupp said he hosts S’mores and Oars to give students a reason to stay at Wichita State. To Cupp, it’s just one more resource on campus that students can get involved in, even if they haven’t played a sport since middle school.
“People tell me, ‘I’m too busy,’” Cupp said. “Everyone’s busy. When you look back at college, you got to ask yourself, ‘What did I do?’ Everybody talks about the stories. Everybody talks about what they did. And so what did you do?”
