The Stanford Ritual of Fountain Hopping
By Adrien Truong, Sophia Lynn, and Nathan Morris for RELIGST2: Is Stanford a Religion?
What is Fountain Hopping?
Fountain Hopping is a unique Stanford tradition where groups of undergraduate students swim, hangout and “hop” between the variety of fountains around campus. This tradition typically takes place with dorm mates during NSO or New Student Orientation at the beginning of freshman year (However, many students continue to fountain hop in their favorite fountains throughout their time at Stanford). Fountain hopping can entail swimming in the fountain, sitting on the side while dangling feet into the fountain or bringing an inflatable water toy to float on the surface. Stanford has many big and small fountains, however, students usually fountain hop in five that are most suited to this tradition. These fountains are the “Memorial Auditorium Fountain” across from Hoover Tower, the “100 Years Fountain” outside of Green Library, the “Red Hoop Fountain” outside of the other side of Green Library, “The Claw Fountain” in White Plaza by Tressider, and the “Sunken Pool Fountain” also know as “Terman Fountain” outside of Thornton (Ngu, A. What is the most recommended fountain-hopping route at Stanford, 2015, June 1).
Fountain Hopping is a Stanford ritual that has grown beyond simply jumping in Fountains to cool off from the heat. Not every Stanford student has participated in this tradition, however the overwhelming majority of Stanford students and incoming Stanford students have heard of Fountain Hopping. This is a Stanford ritual and tradition that transcends the act itself and has become not only a symbol for Stanford’s individuality but also serves as an initiation ritual for incoming freshman.
When learning about Fountain Hopping we used archived Stanford Daily articles dating back to the 1980s, personal experience, and peer testimony. This information was then analyzed as a ritual through the religious framework provided by J.Z Smith and Catherine Bell.
The Origin
Sources indicate that fountain hopping starting in the 1970’s and caught on as a trend at Stanford in the 1980’s. There’s no precise date and no precise origin story to explain this quirky Stanford tradition (Jenny Miller, “Fountain hopping a popular Stanford spring traditions,” The Stanford Daily, May 24, 2002). Without a precise origin story, it makes the tradition even more fascinating because it leaves it up to speculation and mystery. Perhaps it was an accident that turned into a ritual. From the lens of J.Z. Smith, it could be said that “the oridinary becomes significant, becomes, sacred, simply by being there,” (J.Z. Smith, The Bare Facts of Ritual, 1980, pg. 115). This is explained by the phenomenon that something could become a tradition, or sacred, without any other reason than it just happened to exist at the right place and time. This could perhaps explain the origin of fountain hopping; it became a tradition for no other reason that it just happened and by repetition, it became a fundamental part of the Stanford culture.
“After discussion we concluded that the tradition probably started on a hot day when a quirky individual thought he would take a swim in a fountain. Seeing how much fun he was having and sweating from the scorching heat, other soon joined him. The experience was so gratifying that they indulged themselves over and over again. Seeing this golden opportunity to do something out of the ordinary which is usually frowned upon, even more student decided to join them in the fountain. Soon, so many people were playing the fountains of Stanford that it gradually became a socially acceptable activity to participate in. Indeed, the school does not even condemn this practice,” (USC Digital Folklore Archives).
This quote was taken from a USC student looking in on the Stanford culture, confirming the lack of origin story and reaffirming J.Z. Smith’s argument.
What Fountain Hopping Reveals about Stanford Culture
The tradition of fountain hopping reveals several things about the Stanford culture. The first being it’s seemingly fun, laid back culture. The picturesque image on the brochures of watching students dance around, swim, play drinking games, etc. in the fountains paints a picture of fun and happy students outside of the classroom. It evokes an image of the loose, laid back California life style where students walk around in flip flops and do homework outside in the sun.
“Lytheott-Haims emphasized the activity’s close connection with the University’s image. ‘Fountain hopping is one of those wacky Stanford traditions that in the aggregate make us who we are,’ she said. ‘Fun is to be had here at Stanford — in the classroom and in the fountains,” (Kate Abbott, “Fountains of Youth,” The Stanford Daily, June 4, 2009).
Another aspect of the culture fountain hopping emphasizes is the unique and creative quality of the university. Stanford prides itself on being different and fostering a diverse community filled with unique traditions. The combination of its prestigious reputation, its location, and its foundation separates it from almost every other university in the world. It has the academics of a an Ivy League, but being in California and more importantly, in the heart of Silicon Valley, makes it a unique intersection. Fountain hopping captures this intersection:
“We [a Stanford and USC student] had no prior knowledge of this strange habit of Stanford students. She explains that although it may be strange outside of Stanford, it is really quite commonplace there. ‘It’s not weird here,’ she adds, ‘everybody does it,” (USC Student, USC Digital Folklore Archives).
Lastly, it reveals the need for a sense of community among students. The tradition is normally acted upon during NSO (new student orientation) and acts as an initiation process for new students on campus. Swimming in the fountains and buying into the culture brings students together and makes them feel bonded to each other and to the university. Especially for student’s who have doubts about their admissions and whether they will live up to the Stanford caliber, it makes them feel as though they belong.
Why People Fountain Hop
Most people know what fountain hopping is but what is less known is the reasons why people fountain hop. Anthropologist Clifford Geertz advocates for “thick descriptions,” descriptions that address both the “what” and the “what was intended.” In this section, we attempt to address the latter.
The most immediate reason that comes to people’s mind is to cool off from the hot weather. Dorms on Stanford’s campus do not have air conditioning units and temperature on campus can easily reach into the 90s. Thus, one very pragmatic view of the ritual is that it’s just an effective, fun and, cheap way to combat the heat.
Credit: Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service
A potential deeper reason for fountain hopping is that it serves a social function: initiating students into Stanford. Stanford is a unique academic institution in that it has a culture of quirkiness and creativity. Fountain hopping represents both of these aspects. It serves as a way to initiate students into this peculiar culture and give them social proof of it. One student stated that after fountain hopping, they felt “initiated into the Stanford experience.” Another stated that “It was one of the first things that we did as a dorm, and it was a very formative bonding experience” (Nicole Kofman, “Frolicking in fountains”, The Stanford Daily, May 22, 2012). Fountain hopping welcomes students into the world of Stanford and gives them a splash of all its defining characteristics.
Another perspective comes from the works of J.Z. Smith. In The Bare Facts of Ritual, Smith discusses the reasons people simultaneously perform rituals that celebrate certain values and yet also act against those values in real life. He claims that this is not actually hypocrisy. Rather, he claims that “ritual is a means of performing the way things ought to be [in contrast to] the way things are” (J.Z. Smith, The Bare Facts of Ritual, 1980, pg. 125). Through this lens, we can propose a reason why students fountain hop: to live out the ideal of Camp Stanford. Camp Stanford is the Stanford portrayed through the brochures, it’s the facade that everyone on campus is always smiling and happily doing work while tanning in the sun, it’s also unfortunately unreal. In reality, Stanford is often filled with intense periods of stress and work. Thus, fountain hopping is a way to enact what Stanford should be while recognizing that students live a completely different life during most of the academic year that is not perfectly aligned with the portrayed culture of happiness and fun under the sun.
How Fountain Hopping Perpetuates Stanford Culture
Fun, quirky, chill, laid back. These are some of the words that come to mind when one thinks of Stanford’s culture. Fountain hopping reinforces all of these aspects of the culture. As incoming students come onto campus, among the essentials of freshman year is fountain hopping. Immediately, students are brought to the many fountains across campus and indoctrinated into the culture. As an outsider, when you see a fountain, climbing into and splashing in the water isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But the ritual of fountain hopping teaches freshman that this is exactly what should come first to your mind when you see a fountain. The ritual serves to impress on freshman that Stanford is quirky, fun, and laid back enough that you can just hop into a fountain.
Another surprising way it perpetuates culture is architecture. In 2012, Terman Fountain was refurbished. One student remarked “Have you seen that fountain? It’s like it made for fountain hopping!” (Nicole Kofman, “Frolicking in fountains”, The Stanford Daily, May 22, 2012). While there is no official evidence to support this conclusion, the fountain is a large shallow pool surrounded by sloping sides suited for laying down or sunbathing. Due to these features, Terman Fountain is a popular location to host parties and other events. Thus, the fountain’s features serve to officially acknowledge the ritual of fountain hopping. By cementing itself in the campus’s architecture, it has also cemented itself, and the culture it perpetuates, into the minds of all that visit.
Conclusion
Fountain Hopping is a cornerstone tradition to the Stanford experience. While this practice may have started as a way to cool off from the hot sun, it has evolved into a ritual that simultaneously brings students together to celebrate Stanford’s unique and creative culture while serving as an initiation ritual that bonds students together and helps solidify their place on campus. We don’t know exactly how Fountain Hopping started, however we do know that it serves an important role in shaping Stanford’s community.
Works Cited
Abbott, K. (2009, June 4). Fountains of Youth. Retrieved from https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20090604-01.2.10&srpos=7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-fountain hopping — — —
Bell, C. (n.d.). Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions.
Gong, S. (2010, December 15). Tradition — Stanford University. Retrieved from http://folklore.usc.edu/?p=1007
Kofman, N. (2012, May 22). Frolicking in fountains. Retrieved from https://www.stanforddaily.com/2012/05/22/frolicking-in-fountains/
Miller, J. (2002, May 24). Fountain hopping a popular Stanford spring tradition. Retrieved from https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20020524-01.2.14
Ngu, A. (2015, June 1). What is the most recommended fountain-hopping route at … Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/cr?IG=ED3AC1242D5643438BD1AF1E878FBE3B&CID=306F53037EA96B9628B258EC7F066A2B&rd=1&h=VRL_afUxAX07b2jyIdW-60hfxOIb1YEEk-Xj8FQ1e6A&v=1&r=https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-recommended-fountain-hopping-route-at-Stanford&p=DevEx.LB.1,5111.1
Smith, J. Z. (1980). The Bare Facts of Ritual. History of Religions,20(1/2), 112–127. doi:10.1086/462864
