Dear Lakeside Community,

In last year’s April issue, I committed one of the cardinal sins of journalism. On behalf of myself and Tatler’s editorial team, I must apologize to you all. In my article entitled “It’s Never Too Late: Lakeside Crew is Not the Answer,” I deliberately stretched the truth for the sake of our readers’ amusement. By dramatizing the short-lived experience I had on the team, I directly caused harm to the Lakeside athletics community. To put it plainly: the crew team is not a cult. Although some individual members may have dabbled in cultish behavior in past years, recent leadership has made tremendous strides towards welcoming new members into the fold.

In repentance for my crimes, I decided to try to learn more about the true crew experience through a personal outreach project with the boys’ varsity team. In an interview, Rishi L. ’24 dismissed any rumors of  the team’s allegedly unhealthy atmosphere: “Sure, we spend all of our time together. Sure, we discourage other members from socializing with ex-members of the team. We may even regard our captains as gods,” he admits. Still, “I just don’t see anything unhealthy about this behavior,” he says. Rishi has always found a home in Lakeside crew; he regards his teammates as more than friends or even family. 

“Have we ever gone a day without spending time with our members — I mean teammates?” asks Chris P. ’24. “I mean no, but it’s not like we’re co-dependent or anything.” In an emotional hour-long sermon, Chris poured his heart out about the struggles and triumphs he and his brethren have gone through together. For his privacy and personal safety, the remainder of that interview will not be published.

So, once again, I must apologize for my indiscretion. I have since begun rowing again, and thanks to the guiding light of our most noble captains, I now am enlightened. Crew is strong. Crew is good. Crew is life.

Sincerely,

Lucy K. ’24