UCF鈥檚 iconic Reflecting Pond, the site of Friday鈥檚 Homecoming Spirit Splash, was one of the first structures built on the campus. Construction of the pond was completed in 1967, a year before UCF classes began, and it has always been the hub of the constantly growing university. The 225,000-gallon pool is used as the photogenic scene for many promotional materials and was visited by a U.S. president who gave his commencement message to graduates sitting in the drained concrete basin. Let鈥檚 allow the pond to tell us a little more about itself in this Q&A:
Where do you reside?
I spend my time between Millican Hall and John C. Hitt Library. I love being in the center of campus activities but I wasn鈥檛 even part of the original master plan for the campus. I was added as an afterthought by then-President Charles Millican as a solution to a terrain problem: an often dried-up pond that became a muddy pit several feet deep when it rained.
You鈥檙e looking good for your age. What鈥檚 your secret?
I haven鈥檛 gained any in size鈥鈥檓 still 182 by 120 feet at my widest points, and go from 18 inches to 4 feet deep. I鈥檝e been drained many times through the years for maintenance and to clean algae. In 1996 my floor was drained and painted bright blue over the gray so the water would look better. At first I had just one small spout, but in 2000 the maintenance staff put in three fountains to help my circulation and reduce algae.
What鈥檚 an average day like for you?
It鈥檚 great being the Reflecting Pond at the heart of the nation鈥檚 second-largest university with more than 60,000 students. Every day visitors stroll by or stop to sit a spell, maybe to study or talk or just reflect on the day. But occasionally my normally peaceful days are punctuated by bursts of activity, such as when President Nixon came to campus in 1973 to give a commencement address, or for Spirit Splash, the annual Homecoming pep rally when thousands of students jump in. The National Association for Campus Activities in 2011 gave Spirit Splash the best campus tradition award, and Florida Leader magazine called the event the best university tradition in the state.
Tell us about your family.
I have relatives all over the world, and some of them have become quite well known, too, such as Walden Pond in Massachusetts, Monet鈥檚 Water Garden Pond in France, Kew鈥檚 Waterlily Pond in London, and others, including one distant cousin that has a different last name, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
What are your favorite movies?
On the Waterfront, Blue Lagoon, and, of course, On Golden Pond, in which Katharine Hepburn鈥檚 character, Ethel, even mentions UCF:聽 鈥淵ou’re my knight in shining armor. Don’t forget it. You’re going to get back on that horse and I’m going to be right behind you, holding on tight and away we’re going to go, go, go!鈥� At least I鈥檝e always thought she was talking about Knightro and Pegasus.
Do you have any pet peeves?
Yes, when people call me the Reflecting Pool or Reflection Pond鈥he name is Reflecting Pond!
What is something that most people may not know about you?
In the early days of the university, when there was an official disc golf course through the middle of campus, one of the 鈥渇airways鈥� went right over me.
What final advice do you have for the UCF community?
I like the 鈥減ond鈥� advice by futurist author Joel A. Barker about people鈥檚 actions because it applies to everyone at the university: 鈥淲hen you drop any new idea in the pond of the world, you get a ripple effect. You have to be aware that you will be creating a cascade of change.鈥�
Spirit Splash will be 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the Reflecting Pond. There will be guest speakers, free T-shirts and lots of toy ducks. For other Homecoming events, visit http://osi.ucf.edu/homecoming/home/.