The Observer, September 12, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 3
Student Profile: Craig Lawrie
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Craig Lawrie is a senior majoring in physics. He can often be seen riding his unicycle around campus, whether he's trying to get to class or just practicing his skills. He also plays the euphonium in Case Symphonic Winds and participates in physics and astronomy club.
Christine Cadman: What got you interested in unicycling?
Craig Lawrie: Well, it was actually [my twin brother] Jason who started it. We went to the Presque Isle Cycling Club with our dad and went to a bike swap. It happened that there was a unicycle there and he wanted to try it. He started to realize all the things that you can do with a unicycle if you have two people, so the next year I picked it up.
CC: Did you teach yourself to ride?
CL: Jason completely taught himself how to ride, and when I started to learn I mostly taught myself with about 20 percent of Jason's help.
CC: How long did it take to learn?
CL: Just to stay on and move about 10 feet takes a month of practice. To stay on a sidewalk takes that much time again. To stay on the sidewalk and be able to turn takes another month on top of that.
CC: Where do you ride around campus?
CL: I like to do loops around Southside sometimes. Or just ride around the main quad… Other than that it's just to get where you're going.
CC: Have you ever had any problems riding on campus? For instance, have you hit anyone?
CL: I have never ever run into anyone. However, my worst injuries have come from avoiding hitting someone. No more than a scraped knee or palm, though.
CC: How did you practice at first?
CL: When Jason first got his unicycle we were at a park and it had tennis courts, so we pulled ourselves along the fence pretending we were unicycling. There was also a tree next to our driveway that we used to lean on. We would use the cracks in the sidewalk as goals for how far we could go without falling.
CC: What was the most challenging part about learning to ride?
CL: The most challenging part of learning to unicycle… Getting started, absolutely. It takes a lot of determination to get back on after you fall off a hundred times. And you'll fall off more than that before you can move when you get back on.
CC: What are your plans for after you graduate?
CL: I definitely plan on going to grad school for physics. I haven't decided where I'm going yet though. I still have to talk to my professors and see what school is right for me.
CC: Do you think you'll keep unicycling?
CL: Probably. It's funny; you'll find a lot of professors in academia have unicycled at some point. However, few of them still do.
CC: Anything else you want to add?
CL: More people should pick up unicycling!
CC: Patient people?
CL: [laughs] Yes, patient people. Or people who need to learn to be more patient.
