My Freshman Pool Jump as a Rite of Passage
I have gone through the freshman jump which is a rite of passage that involves jumping off a diving board into a pool in prom dresses. The tradition is as old as the school itself, and it symbolizes the shedding off of young ways and embracing the newly found adulthood as we start our college years. The jump happens at the beginning of the first school semester, and the freshmen are required to carry their high school prom tuxedos and prom dresses and wear them over swimming costumes. The act is presided over by the students' association leaders and for safety purposes, a lifeguard has to be present. The leaders are responsible for handing over a metaphorical mantle as they prepare to finish their schooling.
The first phase of separation is shown by freshmen moving from their homes and on from high school and starting a new life, some even thousands of miles away. They leave their childhood antics and embrace adulthood in college. The transition stage is signified by the period between arriving at the college and the time right before one takes the first breath after diving into the water below in the pool. It is a stage marked by confusion and the students often struggle to adjust to the new life in college. The immersion in water for even seconds signifies the symbolic washing away of their former life. Finally, the freshmen are incorporated into the college life as fully adjusted adults when they shed their prom dresses, and tuxes in the water, and exit it and they emerge anew. The clothes left in the water are indicative of the childhood and leaving behind the life to which I was accustomed. This rite of passage is performed as a group where freshman from all schools within the university gather. For me, exiting the pool gave me a sense of belonging in my college and made me appreciate my new found freedom and adulthood. I felt like I was entering a new world where and I had the power to make my decisions and I loved it!
References
Van Gennep, A. The Rites of Passage (as quoted and referenced in Wikipedia). Retrieved online from <en.m.wikipedia.org>
