I’ve been a student at Stony Brook for a year now, but I didn’t attend Roth Regatta the first chance I had, and I totally regret it. This year’s event was so much fun, and now I can excitedly check it off the list of 25 things every Seawolf needs to do before they graduate! There are definitely some things I wish I knew before going, so out of love for you all, here are some pieces of advice about the event for both newcomers and seasoned veterans to keep in mind!
1. Bring Sunscreen, Sunglasses and Water
This year it was close to 70 degrees and sunny on the day of Roth Regatta and I was at the absolute mercy of UV radiation! Avoid getting a painful sunburn by protecting yourself with sunblock, and save from getting dehydrated by bringing enough water with you for a few hours.
2. Get There Early
Wanna be one of the first to get a limited edition t-shirt from the event? Do you also want to snag an awesome spot to chill and eat all the free food? Don’t show up when the event has already kicked off, come early so you can have time to scout it out and see what’s going on!
3. Ask Friends and Family to Join You
This isn’t a Seawolf-only event, you know! You can bring friends from outside of SBU as well as your family members so you can all enjoy watching people fall off of their boats into Roth Pond!
4. Participate in the Giveaways
There is literally a ton of free stuff waiting for you to show up and claim it! This year’s Regatta featured Shake Shake, which gave away 1,000 juicy burgers! Amazon at Stony Brook also had a table with a spin-to-win wheel, where you could come away with an awesome Stony-Brook-red water bottle as one of the prizes!
5. Bring a Blanket or Foldable Seat
There’s a lot of standing or sitting on the ground going on, so if you want to be sure you’re comfortable so you can watch the entirety of the race, bring something cushy to sit on!
6. Find a Good Spot to Set Up
It’s hard to see the race when you’ve got three rows of people in front of you blocking the way! Try finding a seat along the center of the lake so you can see the start and finish with no trouble. If you can’t wiggle your way in fast enough, there’s an incline opposite of the starting line where if you stand up against Roth Cafeteria, you get a pretty good view of the race, but will definitely have the push-off spot blocked by the crowd.
I’m so glad I attended Roth Regatta this year and will absolutely be going again next year. A few of my family members wished I had brought them along after seeing my Facebook Live video, and I wish I had, too! The more is definitely the merrier at Roth Regatta!