I've always wondered why my roommate, Andrew Berry '08, disappears for hours at a time during the day. Nearly every afternoon he packs a small bag and hits the road for a while, returning a couple of hours later smelling of chlorine. I've also wondered why he has so many man-thong style swimsuits.
This past week, I realized that inventing bizarre scenarios that explained all the symptoms was taking up a significant portion of my free time, so I decided to sit him down for a chat and try to get some answers. The disappearing act and chemical odor seem to be the result of his involvement with the diving team. The jury is still out on the swim suits.
The D: So, apparently you're a diver. My first question is, essentially, why am I interviewing you? Are you any good?
Andrew Berry: [Laughs] Come on, that's a terrible first question. I have done pretty well in the last few years. [Ed. Note: fourth in the Ivy League in one-meter as a freshman and a sophomore, made finals in three-meter]. This year my goal is to make NCAAs because they're at the University of Minnesota, which is really close to home.
The D: Thanks for such a riveting response. You're really helping me further my career in journalism. The sports editor is probably shaking in his boots at this very moment.
AB: Glad I could help. Maybe you should ask less terrible questions.
The D: I'll give it a shot. I gather that you're from the Midwest. How did you get involved in a sport centered on jumping off platforms when the tallest geographical landmarks in your area are houses?
AB: I used to jump off my roof onto my trampoline, so I guess that was a good start. Family legend has it that my little sister did gymnastics, and I wanted to do everything she did, so I tried it too. When I realized that waking up aching all over wasn't for me, diving was a way to flip around without hating it.
The D: Interesting. Gymnastics and diving.
AB: Shut up, golfer boy.
The D: Yeah, that will be edited out. Moving right along, what's the coaching situation right now on the swim team? If I'm not mistaken, there was a women's coach hired, but he ditched before he even coached a practice, and now Jim Wilson is in charge of both programs. How does everyone feel about that?
AB: As far as I can tell, combining the teams under Coach Wilson is one of the best things to happen to Dartmouth swimming in the past few years. There has been a noticeable increase in energy on the pool deck, swimmers are talking about positive changes in practice, and the men and women are getting along very well. Maybe I shouldn't put words in other people's mouths, but I have heard few complaints.
The D: You guys must be fired up about the pool renovations too, right?
AB: Well, they got the dehumidifier put in and fixed some crumbling pipes, but besides that, I can't see many positives. The pool has been closed for a large portion of the past year and a half, and while swimmers could practice in the back pool, the divers have been out of luck. It looks like there won't be any more problems (besides the deafening echo), but the last year has been very frustrating. A school like ours with a varsity team without a practice space during the regular season should take a serious look at its priorities.
The D: The swim team's relationship with the College has been strained in recent years, to say the least. How does the fact that the College cut funding for the program a few years ago impact the team dynamic?
AB: Ehh, it's kind of behind us. It still affects recruiting because the Class of 2007 is very small. I guess the team getting cut is another example of how the administration doesn't seem to view the swimming team as a priority sport. When 300 students marched on the president's house and 1,000 participated in the Parkhurst sit-in, it showed that the student body supported swimming even when the administration didn't. However, the team getting cut really shouldn't be an issue anymore.
The D: Wow, this had been a kind of depressing last couple of questions. You know what else depresses me? You. Namely, your abs. On a scale of one to washboard, how good are your abs? Are they useful for diving, or just for lowering my self esteem? I'm fairly confident you watch TV in the common room shirtless just to make me feel bad about myself.
AB: What can I say, divers have great abs. Strong core muscles enable divers to generate rotation off the board. The collective 32-pack will be on display at our first home meet on November 4th against Maine, so come check 'em out.