One of my personal favorite Bates College traditions approaches again today: Puddle Jump. There’s something amazing about college students dressed in ridiculous costumes jumping into a frozen-over lake, screaming and cheering each other on. Even if you don’t actually decide to jump into the Puddle, there’s so much fun to be had. Watching the antics is a guaranteed mood-booster, as is seeing all of the outrageous garb get waterlogged and, if we’re being completely honest, sort of gross. The Outing Club, which sets up Puddle Jump, also creates a massive bonfire next to the lake so everyone watching can stay warm and people racing out of the Puddle can escape some of the freezing cold before taking a cold shower to rinse off Puddle grime. It’s a great place to hang out even if you don’t jump, since you stay warm but are still by all of the action.
The Puddle pre-Jump, 2017
Puddle Jump is one of the reasons why I love Bates and the people who go here. It’s silly and creative, and it creates a sense of community among the students, especially those who jump or have decided to jump. It’s a bonding experience to just wait in line with probably around a hundred other students, all shivering and huddled together, mentally bracing ourselves to plunge into ice-cold water. Even if you accumulate some battle scars getting out of the Puddle like I did, most people emerge with huge grins on their faces and a great story to tell. Even now, a year after having done the Puddle Jump, I still can hardly believe I did it, and neither can the people I tell who don’t go to Bates. They look at me in a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and amusement, and I just have to laugh at their expressions, because if they never went to Bates, they won’t understand the true experience of Puddle Jump.
Over the years, Puddle Jump has become a sort of inside joke for Batesies, as well as a way to bond us together. Whenever I think of wintertime at Bates, I always think of Puddle Jump; it’s memorable and colorful and bright. We have an entire week of activities and events dedicated to celebrating winter at Bates, culminating in Puddle Jump and the 90’s Dance. Batesies always make the most of our beautiful Maine campus, whatever the weather, and I absolutely love that. We make the best of the cold and find a way to warm each other up, even while (almost literally) freezing our butts off. It may be frigid outside, but the fire and the Bates spirit always manage to keep me warm and cozy.
Me, immediately post-Jump, 2017
Main image courtesy of Bates College.
Photo by Rachel Minkovitz and Evan Goldberg ’19.