It’s the Wednesday before one of the biggest events of the year for IUPUI, and Regatta Executive Director Evan Goley, BS’18, says the final preparations are underway.
It’s the ninth annual canoe race on the downtown Indianapolis canal, and Goley, along with more than 20 students on the steering committee, have been working since January to ensure its success. Since the first event with just 1,000 attendees, the IUPUI Regatta has grown into an event that attracts over 10,000 people and awards $10,000 in student scholarships every year. The Regatta is IUPUI’s biggest tradition of the year.
“A lot of people don’t realize it’s a fundraiser for scholarships,” explained Goley. “It’s all designed to raise money for the Stefan S. Davis IUPUI Regatta Scholarship fund. For the third year in a row, we are giving away 10 scholarships of $1,000 each to deserving students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership. It truly makes a difference to these students who receive them.”
This year, the race sold out in about 2.5 hours, which is the fastest in Regatta history. Last year, Goley says it took 10 hours for teams to sign up and fill all the spots available. To pump up the enthusiasm around campus before Saturday’s races, the committee has worked with a number of campus partners to prepare fun and engaging Regatta Week events. You can find more information about that here. Goley says that for those who didn’t get a chance to join a team for the canoe races, they’ll also have a tug-of-war contest between canoes on the water, which students can sign up to participate in.
Goley is a senior at the Kelley School majoring in human resource management, management and marketing. He says he’s been involved with Regatta in some way from his freshman year at IUPUI.
“I was a huge fan of the Regatta beginning my freshman year when I participated in Battleships (A Regatta Week event at the NAT). I ended up rowing on the Kelley Honors team in my sophomore year, as well. These experiences and seeing the entire campus come together for a day are what motivated me to get involved with the Regatta Steering Committee. I love being able to have an impact on campus and lead the effort in creating a great event for the campus and the Indianapolis community,” said Goley.
“The best part of my experience so far has been building relationships with people from across campus,” he continues. “The Regatta is an event that would not be possible without the schools, departments, student organizations and other partners on campus that come together each year. I have really enjoyed making connections with people from all areas of IUPUI and seeing just how big of a reach the event has.”
Goley says he’s been able to take some of what he learned at Kelley and use it during his time on the committee.
“Many of the interpersonal skills that I have developed by working in teams during my time at Kelley, particularly in I-Core, have come in handy as I’ve overseen the steering committee this year. As a result of the negotiations course I took with professor Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow, I also was able to navigate relationships from a strategic perspective with sponsors as well as campus and community partners.”
The Kelley School is well-represented at Regatta: Of 21 students on the steering committee, eight are from the Kelley School at IUPUI. That’s more than any other school on campus.
Evan Goley: Executive Director, Senior
Anila Podila: Director of Festival, Senior
Andrew Gagnon: Director of Finance, Senior
Jacob Petercheff: Coordinator of Internal Support, Senior
Nikki Baker: Coordinator of External Support, Senior
Ryan Fraser: Director of Marketing, Sophomore
Nilam Bhatt: Coordinator of Marketing Strategies, Sophomore
Rebecca Combs: Coordinator of Social Media, Junior
“The Regatta is a unique event unlike any other, and the canal is a great venue to host an event that showcases IUPUI and connects the campus with the city,” said Goley. “We have a lot of excitement planned for Saturday, and we can’t wait to see you out on the Canal!”