Conversation 2: “The Showalter Fountain”
Tracy: “I need to find some legends about this campus.”
Tanya: “Tell about the legend of the mermaid in the fountain. You’ve heard the story right?”
Tracy: Um, refresh my memory.”
Tanya: “My friend told me this my freshman year here. She was a sophomore when she told me. She said that if someone graduates from IU a virgin the fish will swim around the pond. Of course that is never going to happen.”
Tracy: “You mean someone graduating a virgin.”
Tanya: (laughing) “No the fish swimming around the pond but it is a cute story.”
Tracy: “Where did your friend hear the story from?”
Tanya: “When she came here as a freshman it was told to her at one of the orientations.”
Tracy: “Was it told by another student?”
Tanya: “I don’t know, she just said it was on one of the tours.”
Tracy: “Have you told other people about the story?”
Tanya: “Actually I have, when I tell I say stay a virgin to see the fish swim. I even told my mother when she came down to visit. She thought it was funny.”
Tracy: “What do you think the story about the fish mean?”
Tanya: “I think it means that people come to college as virgins but don’t leave that way. A lot of things happen here that you can’t get away with at home and people like to experiment. Most people I know that come to college do end up losing their virginity because they think they find that special someone or their feel they are ready. But I am sure that there are people that have graduated this college a virgin but we don’t talk about them. If we do the statue will no longer be exciting and will have no story behind it that makes it such an interesting piece of campus.”
Context: This legend takes place as Tanya and I are on our way to class in Woodburn Hall that is located steps away from the fountain. This is what I think made her think of this legend. It was around 3:30 on Wednesday the 28th. The story of the fountain was told to her when she was a freshman and her friend as well. I was told the story when I was a freshman too. This legend seems to be told mainly to freshman I think so that all while you are in college you will think if I want to see the fish swim I have to stay a virgin at least until after I graduate. It almost seems like it’s told as a challenge to see if someone can achieve it. According to those who tell it, no one has graduated a virgin because the legend still goes on to say if a virgin graduates. Tanya thinks that the people who tell the story to freshman know that they get to experience a lot of new things away from the covering of their parents. It is like living in world of no rules and you pretty much run the show. A lot of people come here as virgins but don’t leave that way is what Tanya thinks the legend means when it is told. She says that there are people that graduate virgins but they are not talked about because then the legend will not have any standing and it will make the fish just another statue that no one will pay attention to.