By Angela Twining
Tunnel singing. Belting the Fight Song after a touchdown. Hiking the Y. Taking walks to the botany pond?
Traditions are what some memories of college life revolve around, and some traditions have started and ended with the botany pond on 800 North.
Thomas Black, BYU faculty member in the Botany and Range Science Department, works with the BYU greenhouse and botany pond.
'It''s been there since before the school,' he said. 'It''ll probably be there after.'
Black said more than 20 years ago, some BYU sports teams for their initiations would throw new members into the botany pond.
'My mom did it clear back when Rex Lee was a student' he said.
His mother''s roommate became the newest member of a sports club, he said.
Also, when a young man became engaged, his roommates followed the tradition of throwing him in the pond or another body of water.
Black said the traditions of throwing people in the pond date back to the days of BYU fraternities.
But in the early 1970s, jumping in the water was 'outlawed because it was thrashing the pond,' Black said.
The botany pond is a full-fledged arboretum, complete with algae, leeches, catfish and other fish, including many pet goldfish that have been dropped in, he said.
Black said now the biggest problem is the ducks.
'The groundworkers hate the ducks,' he said. 'They have to clean up all their feathers.'
But the ducks are some students'' favorite part of the pond, like Rachel Young, 20, a junior from McKinnon, Wyo., majoring in microbiology.
Young started a tradition last spring where she and her roommate walk to the botany pond every Sunday evening, she said.
'We go there to talk about our frustrations and chase the ducks around,' she said.
She said the pond has a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere and she likes seeing families feeding the ducks.
'It reminds me of home,' she said. 'We like to feel we are actively involved with nature.'
Young, who lives close to the botany pond, said there are usually couples there talking or even getting their pictures taken.
'The botany pond is just another ploy of BYU to bring couples together,' Young said.
Nathan Arp, 23, a freshman from Englewood, Fla., majoring in English teaching, had his engagement pictures with his wife, Nicole, taken there.
'I think the nature is really nice, and that place has a lot of meaning to my wife and I,' he said.