The swim test

[Robb]

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...

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

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.

[billhoward]

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.

[Trotsky]

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.

[Trotsky]

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.

[RichH]

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.

[Trotsky]

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...  

[ursusminor]

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.

[ugarte]

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?

[Josh '99]

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

::uhoh::

[nyc94]

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.

[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.

[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.

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

[jtn27]

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: http://swimtest.cornell.edu/

[Rosey]

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.