This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.<\/p>\n
One of FSU\u2019s oldest and most adored traditions acts as a \u201crite of passage\u201d for students, who get thrown in and swim a lap around Westcott Fountain on their 21st birthday.<\/p>\n
On Feb. 12, every FSU student\u2019s worst fear became real: Westcott Fountain was declared closed until further notice. This news came in an email<\/a> and an Instagram post, ruining the hopes and dreams of every soon-to-be 21-year-old. Every night since the announcement, the fountain has been locked behind a chain link fence. <\/p>\n It was a decision that was made to prioritize the safety of our peers, as students have been climbing up the slippery concrete ledges, jumping from the top of the fountain, and breaking glass champagne bottles. Honestly, I can\u2019t count how many times I\u2019ve seen videos from fountain throws and just thought \u201cOof\u2026 ouch \u2026jeez\u2026\u201d with how gruesome some of those falls are.<\/p>\n Past Closure<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time the tradition has been under attack. In 2022, what started as a maintenance issue<\/a> turned into FSU, preventing students from jumping into the fountain, by placing a small picket sign on the lawn that stated it was prohibited to do so. With the response from students and alumni, a petition with over 1,800 signatures, and the picket sign being stolen, Westcott Fountain reopened soon after<\/a>.<\/p>\n Subsequent Updates<\/p>\n FSU has made it very clear how much they value the tradition and, hopefully, that this closure won\u2019t last forever. For the last couple of weeks, they have been making slight adjustments to the fountain\u2019s hours of operation<\/a> to reopen it to students and test the waters slowly.<\/p>\n The first significant change came two weeks after the initial closure. FSU officials announced<\/a> that every Wednesday, the fountain would be open from 9-10 p.m., and on every other day of the week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.\u00a0 This would allow those celebrating their 21st to at least get some time to celebrate, although not at midnight; the announcement clarified that these times would allow for a balance between tradition and safety.<\/p>\n The next announcement was emailed to students and posted on Instagram on March 9. It read that on Thursday, March 12, the fountain would be open<\/a> so that students could participate in the tradition. <\/p>\n Though FSU stated they prohibit students from climbing, jumping, and bringing glass bottles. \u201cFailure to comply with these expectations may result in student conduct action and\/or arrest as well as a return to closure of the fountain.\u201d<\/p>\n My Experience From March 12<\/p>\n Lucky for me, I was able to go to a fountain throw that night. The one night only that Westcott would be open until who knows how long.<\/p>\n From what I could see, there was little to no climbing, and every time somebody even turned to try, there was a frantic \u201cNooo!\u201d from their friends. It was relieving to see everybody holding each other accountable as we all try to hold tight onto this valuable tradition.<\/p>\n Whether everybody was complacent because of campus police (many officers were monitoring the fountain at midnight), I think that even without their presence, students\u2019 fear of a permanently closed Westcott Fountain would hold them to that same accountability.<\/p>\n Now, that\u2019s not to say new protocols aren\u2019t necessary. The fear of its closure will eventually wear off, and students will be back to climbing in no time. The best-case scenario would be for the administration to come up with new procedures to maintain a safer tradition. What those changes could possibly be is up to the administration to determine the most effective way to do so.<\/p>\n Only time will tell how the administration moves forward after Westcott Fountain\u2019s test run on March 12. Hopefully, to fully avoid a closure, changes will be made by the administration that preserve the valuable tradition, and the student body will maintain it.<\/p>\n Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, and Pinterest<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t