Fountains of Stanford by Anne Marie and Kendrick

Fountains of Stanford by Anne Marie and Kendrick
Stanford has a total of 25 fountains on campus, and these fountains are one of the many aspects that make
Stanford unique. Below are some of the many famous fountains found at Stanford.
One “right of passage” for Stanford students is an activity fondly known as “fountain hopping.” Fountain
hopping involves, literally, getting your feet wet. It most often entails running from fountain to fountain,
splashing around in it and often trying to create whirlpools. Though fountain hopping can be a spontaneous
activity, it is done by almost all freshman dorms during New Student Orientation and Admit Weekend, a
three day period when admitted students may come and stay on the Stanford campus to get a feel for the
university. The fountain pictured above is on Serra Street, between Memorial Auditorium and Hoover
Tower. It is a favorite fountain hopping site because of its size and depth.
This fountain, nicknamed “The Claw,” is the site of one of Stanford’s beloved Big Game traditions. The
Big Game is the football game played annually between Stanford and its rival, Cal. During the week
leading up to the game, the Stanford campus is full of school spirit. Food coloring is put in some of the
fountains to make them cardinal-colored. Another tradition, called bearial, takes place at The Claw (see
below for a photo of this event). Bearial involves the Stanford Band “impaling” a teddy bear (the Cal
mascot is the Golden Bear) on top of the claw. After the ceremony, the band plays “All Right Now,” its
adopted anthem. Even when it’s not Big Game Week, Stanford students flock to the claw to study, relax,
and, of course, fountain-hop.
The fountain at Old Union is another main fountain on campus. Its central location, similar to the claw and
memorial fountain, make it a top pick to fountain hop in. This fountain is known for its ability to
'whirlpool'. By quickly running around the circular fountain, a group of people are able to create a
whirlpool effect and are able to float around the fountain in a circle. Old Union itself is known for its
restaurant, Axe and Palm (known for their burgers) and study rooms. It is also a central location for many
student group meetings.
This fountain, located outside Green Library, is another favorite study spot for those who prefer the
outdoors. Some students also enjoy studying by this fountain because it is very loud and drowns out most
other noise. Adjacent to the fountain is Coupa Café, a great spot to rejuvenate from a late night of studying,
or to meet with friends or professors.
This fountain is directly outside the Bing Wing of Green Library. Green Library is one favorite study spot
for students. The Bing Wing includes The Lane Reading Room and the Bender Room, both aesthetically
pleasing to study in. Green is also host to the second largest DVD collection in the world, following
Netflix. This fountain stands between Green and the main Quad, a nice spot for reflection between classes
and studying.
The Alumni center's fountain is not a very famous fountain around campus. It is hidden away in the back of
the Alumni center and typically does not draw much attention. Although it is not very well known, it serves
to add to the atmosphere of Stanford, reminding Alumni of what Stanford is like. Many notable alumni
include-Tiger Woods (Golf), Entrepreneurs Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google),Reed Hastings (Netflix),
William Hewlett and David Packard (Hewlett-Packard), Phil Knight (Nike), Scott McNealy, Vinod Khosla
and Andy Bechtolsheim (Sun Microsystems), Peter Thiel (PayPal), Jerry Yang and David Filo (Yahoo!).
This fountain is located at the main junction between three buildings: Gates, Hewlett, and Packard. It
symbolizes the importance of the technology and computer science departments of Stanford. Stanford is
known for its Entrepreneurial spirit and innovative technology. It is played a critical role in developing
many of today's major computer and online systems, as seen in the Alumni section.
The following fountains are a collection of the fountains found at the engineering quad.
These three fountains are some of the newest fountains on campus, complete only in the summer of 2010.
They reflect the ever changing aspect of Stanford. Although they are modern, they still hold the critical
components of other fountains. They are a central part to contributing to the Stanford environment. One can
see that, similar to older fountains on campus, they are also made of stone. Yet, they are significantly
different from other fountains on campus. This reflects how engineering at Stanford is ever changing and
making its advances; from the new Nanotechnology building to the Environmental Engineering building to
the Bioengineering building, Stanford is pushing the boundaries of engineering, science, and
interdisciplinary research.