Leisure Pursuits
CofC faculty aren’t all homework and no play, as this latest example of their interests outside the classroom attests.
Name:
Meredith Frazier, assistant professor of biochemistry
Hometown:
Cornelius, N.C.
Hobby:
Curling, the goal of which is to score the most points with each team of four players throwing eight “stones.”
Introduction:
I did my postdoctoral work in North Carolina – not the first state you think of for a winter sport. Several colleagues were looking for a fourth team member at the Triangle Curling Club. I did a learn-to-curl and was hooked!
Frequency:
The Charleston Curling Club has ice time about twice a month at the Ice Palace in North Charleston.
Achievements:
My postdoctoral work team won our Monday league, our last time playing together before I moved here. It was fun to leave on a high note!
I Love It Because:
Curling is a very welcoming and accessible sport. Modifications exist for different abilities, so a wide range of ages can participate. Also, the physics of curling are mind-boggling – it’s still not totally understood! As a science nerd, it is fun to geek out about how the stones curl and how sweeping works. Depending on which way you put spin on the stones when you release them, they move in a left- or a right-curving arc. How you sweep also affects how much the stone curls, which determines where it ends up. You can actually curl a stone behind another that has already been thrown.
What People Say When You Tell Them You Curl:
“Like, with the sweeping?”