Members of the DrArgonnes at practice Wednesday night on the Fox River.
A long, thin boat with a mythical head slips through the water propelled by oars slapping the water in time with the beat of a tribal drum. As the rowers heave backwards, the 1900 lb. craft slithers forward. From the shore comes the chant "E=mc2".
This group doesn't need help to know that they can turn their muscle mass into speed. Several of the scientists in the boat powered their way up the leader board at last year's dragon boat race as members of the Draggin' Runners.
With a new team of six scientists from Fermilab and 14 from Argonne National Laboratory, plus a new name, DrArgonnes, they practiced for a title shot at this weekend's St. Charles Pride of the Fox RiverFest in Illinois.
"It's exhausting while you're doing it but exhilarating when you cross the finish line," said the Fermilab CDF experiment's Jennifer Pursley.
Pursley joined the team five years ago after seeing oars in the main control room at CDF as a graduate student. Fermilab usually fields at least one team each year, giving scientists a chance to build camaraderie outside the laboratory and connect with their neighbors.
"I love the team camaraderie, it's fun to be out on the water," Pursley said.
This year Argonne staff joined the 20-person DrArgonnes team, which will race at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, at Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles.
"We did this because it was fun," said CDF's Rick Tesarek, who has organized the team for years. "We keep doing it because it is an event we really enjoy."
by Tia Jones
This story first appeared in Fermilab Today on June 12, 2009.
