Friday, May 4, 2001, was the last day before our final reading period as undergraduates. It was also the final practice of the Kirkland House intramural crew season. I was rowing in the bow seat of Kirkland's second B-League men's boat.

That week, you'll recall, was oppressively humid, and I decided it would be good to cool off after practice. Well, the decision was a lot easier to make when Damon Rainie, my old roommate, suggested that I jump over the Currier women who were getting ready to launch their shell into the Charles River. So I stripped off my clothes (except for the bathing suit) and sprinted down the boathouse, safely clearing the bow of the Currier boat on my way into the effluvium we have all come to love after four years in Cambridge.

I made the mistake of opening my eyes under the water, which appeared to be some kind of reddish-yellow, but nothing serious happened. I didn't swallow until I had climbed onto the dock, when I let out a "Two-B" yell that, I like to think, frightened the Currier women just as much as seeing a short skinny guy flying over their boat moments earlier.

Apparently, I didn't suffer from septic shock and intoxicate the entire boat. On May 7 we won the B-League repechage, opening water on Pforzheimer halfway through the race and holding on to finish half a boat-length ahead of PfoHo. It was a smooth, intense race, and I'm positive my jump into the Charles inspired my teammates.