In the spring of 1989, the Freshman Lightweight crew had been whittled down from 12 boats of mostly walk-ons in the Fall, to 4 boats of rowers vying for the coveted first boat.

Boat race after boat race wasn’t identifying a clear first boat so almost everyone spent some time in the dreaded 4th boat… not so affectionately called the Death Barge after slamming into the dock so hard the bow ball broke off (in the coxswain’s defense, it didn’t steer very well…) This inspired a t-shirt with the motto “It’s not just a boat, it’s a state of mind.” … sounds cool but what did it mean?

Every sport has a Death Barge… whether it is called the bench, not making the first team, never being played… time in a Death Barge is an important part of what shapes us: it is often where we learn the most about ourselves and and define who we can become.