Purdue Traditions
There are several fun
Purdue traditions to take part in during your time on campus! One of the most
famous examples is a fountain run, which primarily take place in the fall at
the beginning of the school year. Students
run through the fountains on campus, including Loeb fountain, Memorial
fountain, the lion’s head fountain, and the engineering fountain. Fountain runs are great ways to cool off in
the summer, bond with friends, and prepare yourself for a new year at
Purdue! The lion’s head fountain is one
of the stops on the fountain run, but also presents another Purdue tradition in
and of itself. According to legend,
drinking from each of the four lions’ heads will grant you good luck on your
next exam.
Another important
tradition is associated with the bell tower.
Supposedly, if a student stands under the bell tower before they
graduate, they will graduate in more than four years. As such, most Purdue students can be seen walking
around the bell tower – but never under it.
Not far away, in the sidewalk, there’s a replica of the train tracks that used to wind through what is now the center of campus. These are associated with a Purdue tradition called “Crossing the Tracks”, which is done by jumping across the replica train tracks, traditionally before freshman year and after graduation senior year. Freshman year, students jump from the north side of the tracks to the south, symbolizing their entrance into the Purdue community. Following their graduation, new alumni jump across the tracks from the south to the north side to signal their departure from Purdue and entry into a world of opportunity.
Finally, there is the
Purdue Hello Walk. This is a stretch of
pathway across Memorial Mall where, as stated in the plaques on the ground,
pedestrians are encouraged to “smile and say hello to everyone you meet.”
These are just some
of the traditions here at Purdue! These
and more are introduced to students during Boiler Gold Rush (BGR), a week-long
orientation for freshmen that takes place the week before school starts.
- Cassandra Marie McCormack
WE Link Recruitment Project Committee Member
IE 2019
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