The swim test

Cornell's swim test gets the A-hed treatment in today's Wall Street Journal. For the record, I didn't take the swim test until spring semester of my senior year.

I always thought the swim test was a bare bones safety measure to prevent drowning in the campus gorges. Regardless of why we have it, it should remain in place because being able to swim is a valuable life skill. I actually thought the test was too easy and would be in favor of expanding the test from 3 laps to 10 or more (of course, maybe that's just because when I took the test I was fresh off 7+ years of swimming competitively).

This is the reason the swim test is still required: : [www.msnbc.msn.com]

jtn27
I always thought the swim test was a bare bones safety measure to prevent drowning in the campus gorges. Regardless of why we have it, it should remain in place because being able to swim is a valuable life skill. I actually thought the test was too easy and would be in favor of expanding the test from 3 laps to 10 or more (of course, maybe that's just because when I took the test I was fresh off 7+ years of swimming competitively).

As someone who was fresh off of 5+ years away from swimming I think the swim test was hard enough as is, thank you!

There are plenty of basic life skills, many of which are more generally applicable than swimming, that are not required. The swim test is completely arbitrary. It's also arguably discriminatory, though that's probably a stretch. Swimming is a great skill that everyone should have but I don't think it makes anyone a more well-educated biologist or architect or whatever and shouldn't be tied to a degree.

Chris '03
There are plenty of basic life skills, many of which are more generally applicable than swimming, that are not required. The swim test is completely arbitrary. It's also arguably discriminatory, though that's probably a stretch. Swimming is a great skill that everyone should have but I don't think it makes anyone a more well-educated biologist or architect or whatever and shouldn't be tied to a degree.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Weder
Cornell's swim test gets the A-hed treatment in today's Wall Street Journal. For the record, I didn't take the swim test until spring semester of my senior year.

With graduation approaching this spring, Jessica McSweeney has a sinking feeling. A senior Human Development major at Cornell University, she has completed her required science and writing classes and looks forward to traveling this summer.

But one thing stands between the 21-year-old Ms. McSweeney and her diploma: three lengths in the school's 25-yard swimming pool.

Cornell students must take the plunge in order to graduate, either by passing a swim test or enrolling in a beginner's swim class. Ms. McSweeney, who hasn't been in a pool much since grade school, is less than lukewarm on the tradition.

"I guess it's a noble skill to have," she says, "but I don't intend to be a water-going person."

"You go through four years of classes. I don't think three lengths of the pool should decide whether or not you get a diploma," says Corey Minerva, a 2010 Cornell graduate who put off his test until senior year.

Why focus only on two Cornellians who put it off until the very last minute instead of finding one of the thousands who had enough foresight to take the class as freshmen or sophomores and said "well that was no big deal"?

Josh '99
Why focus only on two Cornellians who put it off until the very last minute instead of finding one of the thousands who had enough foresight to take the class as freshmen or sophomores and said "well that was no big deal"?

Because a bunch of quotes of people saying "It wasn't a big deal" and "I completely forgot about it; it was years ago" makes for a boring read.

jtn27

Josh '99
Why focus only on two Cornellians who put it off until the very last minute instead of finding one of the thousands who had enough foresight to take the class as freshmen or sophomores and said "well that was no big deal"?

Because a bunch of quotes of people saying "It wasn't a big deal" and "I completely forgot about it; it was years ago" makes for a boring read.

In which case, maybe there didn't need to be an article about it in the first place.

I definitely saw people puking after the swim test my Freshman year.

Never took it. I was never asked to. I have no idea if it isn't a requirement for transfers but... no swim test.

Not a requirement for transfer students.

Speaking of puking, I took the swim test shortly after running windshield wipers (picture the motion of running back and forth) up and over the Crescent concourse stairs for crew tryouts. I wasn't a fast swimmer, but I still should have passed the test relatively easily. Instead I was getting passed by people in the next group and almost couldn't finish. I started to worry that I was going to have to take the phys ed class if I didn't drown in the middle of the pool first. When I finely finished, I was barely able to pull myself out of the pool and nearly puked in a nearby garbage can.

I thought it was only two laps when I did it in the fall of '90, but maybe I am remembering incorrectly. If it was more than that, than I feel better about being totally shot

cth95
I thought it was only two laps when I did it in the fall of '90, but maybe I am remembering incorrectly. If it was more than that, than I feel better about being totally shot

It was 3 laps in 1994. I wasn't at all in shape or even much of a swimmer. I thought it was easy and pointless, and I imagine I would still think it easy and pointless.

cth95
Speaking of puking, I took the swim test shortly after eating half a pizza to get over my hangover. I wasn't a fast swimmer, but I still should have passed the test relatively easily. Instead I was getting passed by people in the next group and almost couldn't finish. I started to worry that I was going to have to take the phys ed class if I didn't drown in the middle of the pool first. When I finely finished, I was barely able to pull myself out of the pool and nearly puked in a nearby garbage can.

I had almost exactly the same experience.

Btw, the author of this article is a Cornellian.

Chris '03
There are plenty of basic life skills, many of which are more generally applicable than swimming, that are not required. The swim test is completely arbitrary. It's also arguably discriminatory, though that's probably a stretch. Swimming is a great skill that everyone should have but I don't think it makes anyone a more well-educated biologist or architect or whatever and shouldn't be tied to a degree.

Sure, but wine-tasting - now that's a valuable skill for an architect...

I don't remember 3 laps. I remember just once across the pool. I could be wrong though.

What I do remember was that if you didn't pass, taking swimming for gym was mandatory your first semester.

Chris '03
There are plenty of basic life skills, many of which are more generally applicable than swimming, that are not required. The swim test is completely arbitrary. It's also arguably discriminatory, though that's probably a stretch. Swimming is a great skill that everyone should have but I don't think it makes anyone a more well-educated biologist or architect or whatever and shouldn't be tied to a degree.

The biggest lifesavers would be serious driver training (#1 killer until about age 25) and a course on physical fitness (ie gym class) and eating well or maybe combine the two. The WSJ's most telling quote was about swimming skills being passed down by families so your parents didn't swim, maybe you don't, and the swim test / mandatory swimming class breaks the cycle of drowning-candidates.

Jeff Hopkins '82
I don't remember 3 laps. I remember just once across the pool.

That's what I remember, too. I also remember for some reason there was no place to change at Teagle so we had to use lockers at Barton and then cross the road. It was, of course, January. I don't think I have ever been that cold again.

billhoward
The WSJ's most telling quote was about swimming skills being passed down by families so your parents didn't swim, maybe you don't, and the swim test / mandatory swimming class breaks the cycle of drowning-candidates.

Trotsky

Jeff Hopkins '82
I don't remember 3 laps. I remember just once across the pool.

That's what I remember, too. I also remember for some reason there was no place to change at Teagle so we had to use lockers at Barton and then cross the road. It was, of course, January. I don't think I have ever been that cold again.

And I guess you didn't know about the tunnel as a freshman.

RichH

Trotsky

Jeff Hopkins '82
I don't remember 3 laps. I remember just once across the pool.

That's what I remember, too. I also remember for some reason there was no place to change at Teagle so we had to use lockers at Barton and then cross the road. It was, of course, January. I don't think I have ever been that cold again.

And I guess you didn't know about the tunnel as a freshman.

Yeah, I wondered why I was the only one walking...

So RPI wasn't the only place that had this dumb requirement! In order to pass Phys Ed I, we had to pass a swimming test, and we had to pass Phys Ed I-IV to graduate, although I never heard of anyone not graduating because of this requirement. The test consisted of jumping in from the side of the pool, swimming one lamp normally and then one lap on the back. (I remember because it took me four semesters of remedial swimming to pass.)

Supposedly because it kept the pool cleaner, swimming had to be done in the nude. I better add that the few women at RPI at the time were exempt from gym class, as were members of ROTC and members of athletic teams in semesters when their team played.

This topic has come up on USCHO, and the Phys Ed requirement has been eliminated. I assume that the swimming requirement has gone with it.

dag14
Not a requirement for transfer students.

Not that a swim test makes sense in the first place but exempting transfer students is definitely odd. Were they afraid that 5 semesters wasn't enough time to learn to dog paddle?

ursusminor
Supposedly because it kept the pool cleaner, swimming had to be done in the nude.

ursusminor
So RPI wasn't the only place that had this dumb requirement!

My father was at RPI in the early 50s. He said he took the swim test at least one additional time on behalf of a fraternity brother that couldn't swim.

Transfer students are exempt from the Phys Ed requirement and swim test is part of the PE requirement so I assume that is the rationale. I agree it is somewhat illogical if one is going to impose the requirement on first-year matriculants. But it also doesn't apply to grad students. Or faculty and staff, for that matter.

Trotsky

billhoward
The WSJ's most telling quote was about swimming skills being passed down by families so your parents didn't swim, maybe you don't, and the swim test / mandatory swimming class breaks the cycle of drowning-candidates.

political-pictures-nascar-natural-selection.jpg

This would be from [www.despair.com], yes? No matter how crappy my day is going, the site quickly resolves depression, one way or the other.

dag14
Transfer students are exempt from the Phys Ed requirement and swim test is part of the PE requirement so I assume that is the rationale. I agree it is somewhat illogical if one is going to impose the requirement on first-year matriculants. But it also doesn't apply to grad students. Or faculty and staff, for that matter.

President Skorton (voluntarily) took the swim test. Wouldn't it be hilarious if it was mandatory for all professors to take it? (Although I suppose that might hinder the University's ability to recruit new professors).



Image source: [swimtest.cornell.edu]

billhoward
The biggest lifesavers would be ... eating well

Good luck getting enough of a consensus on that to be able to teach people how to eat well.

I used to lifeguard the test - it has always been 3 laps. I think my favorite kids were the ones after two days on campus were saying, "I've got to keep my repuation, that's why I'm still drunk/hungover and am having trouble swimming, and I've still got to go out tonight, will gatorade fix this?" They seem to think their party status will be irrevokably damaged if they take one night off after having their blood pressure plummet or sky rocket from 75 yards.

The reason it's three laps is you have one set of kids climbing out at the shallow end while the next set are jumping in at the deep end. It's one lap on the front, one lap on the back, and the third lap is choice. I happened to take my test with a number of other former swimmers/lifeguards and we did IM order minus free (back, breast, and fly), we were asses.

Willy '06
I definitely saw people puking after the swim test my Freshman year.

That's because you took your shirt off. (Yeah I got nothin'.)

I remember during mine it was after walking all the way up from West Campus, while it was raining, still on a new campus, so it was kind of wierd experience. I did the 3 lengths without much problem, but it took me like 10 attempts to actually lift myself out of the pool for some reason.

My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

imafrshmn
My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

Your parents watching your swim test is possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard. It's like something out of a Harold Lloyd movie. Bravo to them. I would like to think they were heckling the whole time.

imafrshmn
My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

I always found the row of toilet stalls without doors to be more impressive. Not in a good way.

Trotsky

imafrshmn
My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

Your parents watching your swim test is possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard. It's like something out of a Harold Lloyd movie. Bravo to them. I would like to think they were heckling the whole time.

"My son is a better swimmer than you! You're going to fail the swim test! DROWN! DROWN! DROWN!"

jtn27

Trotsky

imafrshmn
My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

Your parents watching your swim test is possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard. It's like something out of a Harold Lloyd movie. Bravo to them. I would like to think they were heckling the whole time.

"My son is a better swimmer than you! You're going to fail the swim test! DROWN! DROWN! DROWN!"

"Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, tuuuuuuuurn, ..."

French Rage

jtn27

Trotsky

imafrshmn
My swim test happened on my move-in day. I remember being impressed by the size of the Teagle locker room... The row of urinals in there is remarkably long--even longer than the one in Barton, if I recall. My parents, god bless them, insisted on watching from the stands. The test itself was fine for me, and I don't think I witnessed anyone not make it. I don't believe in maintaining traditions just for the sake of the traditions, but I think the swim test is worth holding on to.

Your parents watching your swim test is possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard. It's like something out of a Harold Lloyd movie. Bravo to them. I would like to think they were heckling the whole time.

"My son is a better swimmer than you! You're going to fail the swim test! DROWN! DROWN! DROWN!"

"Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, tuuuuuuuurn, ..."

Rec'd.

Which son is the swimming son? This son is the swimming son!
Which son is the drowning son? This son is the drowning son!