‘Mighty’ Jordan River gives 2 seniors a wild ride

Senior Kyle Simcoe said he’s heard the story of an incoming freshman bringing his kayak to campus after hearing about the “mighty” Jordan River. In the story the student arrived at IU to find a not-so-mighty river. But on June 4, the river was raging.\n“It was pretty mighty,” Simcoe said. \nSimcoe and his friend, senior, Alex Lodato took the opportunity after rains flooded much of campus last week to canoe a part of the Jordan River, from the more shallow waters near the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center to the tunnel that begins at Indiana Avenue.\nLodato said Simcoe sent him a text message between storms asking if he wanted to rent a canoe from Outdoor Adventures in the Indiana Memorial Union. The two friends, who Lodato described as “spontaneous,” decided to grab the chance, although the weather was dicey.\n“We almost got struck by lightning a couple times,” Simcoe said.\nWhile canoeing, Simcoe and Lodato said IU faculty members and employees came up and told them they hadn’t seen anyone try to canoe down the river. When they came to the tunnel by the IMU, Simcoe said he was a little nervous to go through it – electrical wires hung in front of it, and it was pitch black inside. But Lodato said the tunnel was one of the best parts.\n“That’s when we started getting the best flow,” he said. “It was like a log ride at an amusement park.”\nHe and Simcoe came out of the tunnel by Ernie Pyle Hall and continued on until Indiana Avenue, where another tunnel leads under the road. The two decided to end their adventure there.\nAfter he graduates, Simcoe said he will head to Dallas to work with Texas Instruments. Lodato said he will move to Virginia to join the Marines. Both said canoeing the Jordan River was one last fun, spontaneous thing to do before graduation.\n“This summer there’s been a lot of things I wanted to do,” Simcoe said. “I would highly recommend it.”