What is The Princeton Hot Seat?

The Princeton Hot Seat is a new recurring photo blog to highlight the transient nature of the rowing community in the Princeton, New Jersey area.  It's open to anyone directly involved with the sport of rowing that comes to Princeton on rowing "business".  Could be rowers, coxswains, coaches, boatmen, officials, etc.

How does the Hot Seat Work?

Each subject gets four questions to answer, the first of which is simply, why are you here (in Princeton)?  Then the subject randomly draws the remaining three from a pool of pre-determined questions, of which half are rowing related, half are not...and can be pretty random.  They get one pass.

On the Hot Seat today is the stern four the USA JW8+ (at least from the time of the interview, I think the line-up is different now): India Robinson, Kailani Marchak, Sarah Ondak, and Julia Cornacchia.

Princeton Hot Seat - Why are you in Princeton?

Stern Four - We are in Princeton to train to become the fastest junior women's eight in the world.

Princeton Hot Seat - What is your spirit animal and why?

India Robinson - I think that my spirit animal is a lion, just because people always compare me to one because of my hair.  Lions are pretty fierce, they own everything they see, and are pretty tough so no one messes with them.

Princeton Hot Seat - What coach has had the most impact on your rowing and why?

Kailani Marchak - Probably my coach Claire Kuehnel from Long Beach.  She was my novice coach and moved with me to the varsity team, so she has been there from the beginning to now.  She is most responsible for where I am now with my rowing.

Princeton Hot Seat - If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

Sarah Ondak - Definitely invisibility.  You could just sneek around and hang out wherever you wanted, like concerts and things.  You could just go anywhere you want with no limits!

Princeton Hot Seat - If you could row a coxed four with anyone, who would it be?

Julia Cornacchia - If I could row in a coxed four with anybody, it would probably be the girls that I rowed with in the Connecticut Boat Club coxed four at Youth Nationals this year.  That boat was just a lot of fun.  Or, if someone was injured then Susan Francia could sub in!

Coming to Princeton and want to give the hot seat a go?  Contact row2k here.