It’s spring again — that time when friends on the East Coast no longer begrudge us for our sun, when love is in the air and when waterfowl can be spotted in White Plaza. It is also a time for an activity that has become second nature for students on the Farm : fountain hopping.

This popular Stanford tradition consists of running from fountain to fountain, submerging oneself into the refreshing water and splashing around.

The practice is popular after sporting events, on sunny afternoons, on birthdays and for fraternity inductions.

Stanford is home to at least 16 fountains, all of which feature unique qualities to attract frolicking (and procrastinating) students.

Junior Anita Idiculla, a regular fountain hopper, said that White Plaza’s Claw fountain is good for a springtime hop because “there’s a duck family that lives there.”

The fountain’s location, next to the bustling plaza, also makes it an exciting place to fountain hop for many students.

“It’s right in the middle of things,” said senior Ed Koster. “I love making a spectacle. I love having people who have never seen [fountain hopping] before see it for the first time and smile.”

Idiculla’s favorite fountain, however, is the Old Union fountain.

“It’s always clean, kind of deep, and it’s really easy to get a whirlpool going,” she said.

Creating a whirlpool is another aspect of fountain hopping that many students enjoy.

“Everyone fills the fountain and then runs around in a circle. Once the water is going fast enough you sit down and float with everyone around the fountain,” said junior Brian Quistorff.

While fountain hopping may be done individually, students usually go fountain hopping in groups.

And who can forget the Stanford Band’s spring fountain rally? At the annual event, wackily-attired band members visit every major fountain, simultaneously splashing and playing music.

Though fountain hopping is a popular aspect of Stanford life today, this has not always been the case.

John Bravman, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and B.S. 1979, said, “I’m fairly confident that this was not a well-known thing in the late ‘70s.

“People jumped in fountains, but it wasn’t like a, ‘Hey let’s get a bunch of people together and go do this’ sort of thing,” Bravman said.

Bravman speculated that the practice probably wasn’t named until at least the early ‘80s.

Although many students may describe fountain hopping as an inextricable part of what makes Stanford Stanford, fountains do not appear to have been part of the original plans for the University.

In designing the campus, Jane and Leland Stanford instead concentrated mainly on buildings, choosing a style known as Richardsonian Romanesque, a blend of Romanesque and Mission Revival styles.

University Architect David Neuman hypothesized that Stanford’s fountains most likely developed from this mission heritage. California missions carried on the tradition of Spanish/Moorish architecture, which often featured fountains, Neuman explained.

Though the Old Union fountain was built according to traditional mission style, most Stanford fountains were not created simply for aesthetic appeal.

“A lot of [fountains] have been constructed in memory of people,” said University Archivist Maggie Kimball.

The Claw, officially White Memorial Fountain, was donated in honor of two brothers from the class of 1949, Kimball said. Its unique bronze and copper sculpture, which earned the fountain its nickname, was designed by artist Aristides Demitrios for the 1964 dedication.

The fountain in front of Green Library’s Bing Wing was donated by four separate graduating classes from the ‘20s and ‘30s, Kimball said.