With winter comes the cold weather, and in the case of the freshmen, it means the swim unit. A typical day in the swim unit consists of learning the strokes by swimming laps or playing games in the pool.

For the freshmen this is a highly anticipated time of year, where they decide if they try to get out of the unit or stick it out. Excitement and anxiety fills the pool during freshman gym classes.

I dive at school, and personally, I don’t see the need for the swim unit. No one actually learns how to swim. Instead of focusing on how to master the strokes, the freshmen are too worried about how they look, and they are too focused on not embarrassing themselves, albeit some do enjoy it. 

“I heard the swim unit is kind of hard,” said Lisa Ferrino, freshman. “But I’m excited because I really like swimming.”

The unit lasts three weeks, and I for one could not be happier that I don’t have to do it again. It was a fun experience, but it was not worth being freezing cold for the rest of the day and being late to lunch.

“I’m so glad I’m not a freshman,” said Ashley Fodor, junior. “The swim unit was absolutely miserable. My hair was wet the whole day and I was always freezing.”

It’s safe to say it’s not really fun being submitted to ice cold water during the school day, but it is a new experience. It’s fun to explore a new part of the school like the pool and learn different types of fitness, even if at times it seems a little inconvenient.

For those who enjoy the unit, later physical education classes offer the opportunity to get back in the pool, such as Aquatics, Lifeguarding/CPR/First Aid, F.I.T.S 1, and F.I.T.S. 2.

“Every upperclassman I’ve talked to said the swim unit is horrible,” said Christian Boules, freshman, “But I’m a diver, so I’m excited to be in the pool.”

While the swim unit is a rite of passage freshman year, the experience is ultimately what you make of it.