senior thesis
It Will Always Be There
Fountain-Hopping and The Birthday Party
The hot weather also led to “fountain-hopping.” If ever there was a cherished part of our history, it was that. Every RHPer mentions the fountains in interviews and conversations as one of our important early activities, in a nonchalant tone that assumes shared knowledge. It started on the second or third night at USC. Five of us took a late-night walk around campus, ending up in front of the Bing Theatre, where the “geometric” fountain was running all night long. The relaxing sound of the water (or the complete absurdity of being there) must have facilitated good conversation, since we sat with our feet in the water, talking for a long time about nothing in particular. When we returned to the dorms, someone heard about our foot-soak and took it one step further: why not keep cool by jumping in the fountains? The next night, a small group donned bathing suits and visited the fountain by the law school.
Things often happened that way: someone came up with a tentative suggestion which was enthusiastically adopted by the group. Suddenly it was happening: “instances where the group just sort of decided they wanted to do something.” Over the course of several very warm evenings, word about fountain-hopping spread, each night occurring at a different fountain on campus. Eventually, it was a dorm-wide event, with over thirty people squeezing into a small fountain. However, as classes began to pick up, and the weather cooled down, the fountain-hopping ceased.
The next big event occurred a few weeks later. Connected in the RHP imagination to fountain-hopping, it solidified the nostalgic value of both. The first RHP birthday was shared by two girls -- “two birthdays in one.” They were both turning 17. To celebrate, a surprise party was planned. The initial gathering in Marks Hall lounge was complete with cake, ice cream, balloons, streamers, and banners. Both birthday girls received a giant card signed by everyone, and huge teddy bear. This was particularly meaningful because one girl lived on the other side of campus to participate in the swim team. Many RHPers hoped to bring her closer to the group that had already formed. However, she seemed a bit confused that people she barely knew would throw a party for her, and remained external to the group. “She came, had half a piece of cake, and then left. And that was it.”
The festivities continued by going to Café 84 for pizza. On the way, “the guys” picked up the remaining birthday girl and dumped her bodily into the fountain by the JEP house. It was taken in good humor and everyone sang Happy Birthday (again) at Café 84. Later, “the guys” sat her down and sang You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, “with the backup and everything”, just for fun. We went back to Marks Hall, and played Ultimate Frisbee in the sprinklers.
The birthday party and fountain-hopping were the two extraordinary events that marked RHPers’ first few weeks at USC and as a coalescing group. Because of this, and because of their shared waterplay imagery, the two events combine to create a referential and conceptual framework in which RHPers place their other memories.
The transition from casual fountain-hopping in late August to the well-organized birthday event of mid-September showed how, in just a few weeks, a strong group mentality had formed, based on thoughtfulness, fun, enthusiasm, and mutual support. Since the birthday party was the first elaborately planned and mobilized RHP event (without the influence of Penny), it marked the first obvious sign of a forming social group. However, the group actually grew from a series of small experiences, which took place throughout the semester.