By Mariah Bennett | Staff Writer
The Unicycle Academy at Baylor is slowly but steadily growing by adding new members and attracting potential ones since its founding in 2018. The organization, which meets in front of the Baylor Bookstore every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., aspires to train those new to the pursuit, while also enjoying it together as a community.
Fairfax, Va. junior William Burns, president of the Unicycle Academy, said it attracted a lot of potential members during Late Night, where it received 50 interest sign-ups.
Burns, a member since his freshman year, said he has been a unicycler since the age of 12 and has had steady growth throughout the years. The club had four to six members when Burns joined, and grew to seven to eight the following year. At the club’s first meeting this year, there were 15 participants Burns shared.
Burns said he has seen a lot of enthusiasm in the Unicycle Academy’s current members. Whether it be with Mesquite sophomore Jared Corona recruiting possible new members, or with Pflugerville sophomore Paula Labastida, a community leader, who themed her hall’s name tags around unicycles.
Labastida, who came into the club as a freshman with no experience, now rides her unicycle to class every day, Labastida said.
“The Unicycle Academy for me is a place where I can relax … every time we meet we talk about how our week is going and help each other with our new skills,” Labastida said.
The club, which provides unicycles and helmets, had experienced riders give as much instruction as they could to new riders, holding the ledge as they try to ride.
“Unicycling’s 90% muscle memory … you just practice and eventually you don’t need the wall,” Burns said.
Katy freshman Jasmine Lu, a new member, decided to try it after hearing about it from a friend and participating in cycling at Late Night.
“It’s definitely a lot of work, and you have to put in a lot of dedication and really be determined to learn,” Lu said.
Besides practicing unicycling itself, members of the club may also learn new skills and have fun opportunities, such as riding backwards or one footed, playing unicycle tag and sometimes taking rides together on weekends.
Burns said the current goal of the organization is growth by recruiting new members and keeping current ones.
