Mirror Lake

Every major religion has a sort of "rite of passage" ceremony. In Christianity, baptism is used to symbolize the rebirth of the soul. In Judaism, men come of age into adulthood during a bar mitzvah (or bat mitzvah if you're a woman). Native Americans fast for days and go on deep spiritual vision quests.

At the Church of Ohio State, where "In Tressel We Trust," you have not earned the right to call yourself a Buckeye until you have been baptized in the icy waters of Mirror Lake.


Some administration officials acknowledge it, others profess ignorance or flat out
deny it, but every Thursday night before an Ohio State - Michigan game, a curious thing happens. Hundreds of Ohio State students dressed in swimwear make their way to Mirror Lake singing Ohio State fight songs. At the stroke of midnight the lake is surrounded on all sides by half (or sometimes completely) naked singing students that, at the climax, sing a rousing version of "We Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan" and jump into Mirror Lake en masse. Students continue to jump into the lake all throughout the night.

Some facts about this year's jump:

* The temperature is projected to be 45 degrees, but with 11mph wind, it will feel like 39 degrees. The water temperature will be even colder.

* There is a 50/50 chance it will be raining at midnight.

* There will be an increased police presence around Mirror Lake. They are there to make sure no gets hurt. Stay out of their way, they'll stay out of yours.

* Members from the Christian fellowship Chi Alpha, God bless 'em, will have a couple stands set up to give hot chocolate to students coming out of the lake. They'll be there from 11pm until they run out? if you get some, remember to thank them kindly.

* The lake was drained and cleaned over the summer for the first time in four years, so it will likely be cleaner for this year's jump than it ever will be again in your college career.

If you are new to Ohio State, you might be shocked at how muddy the Mirror Lake area will become tonight? especially with the rain we've been having. The place becomes one giant mud pit and usually costs the university approximately $2,000 to cleanup and repair every year.
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Idiotic. Tradition. School Spirit. Which one? Probably all.
It's my last year at this school so I have to jump in one last time. It will be freezing, but so much fun.
I'll try to get a picture of the lake during the chaos.
Wish me luck