Traditions Video Clip

Kissing Pond and Bridge

Behind the Ryder Business Building is a pond that is interestingly enough in the shape of a heart. At the opening of the FIU University Park Campus in 1972, students began going to and sitting along the pond right outside with their “significant other”. Even then, students could be caught kissing there or just spending time together. As time passed more and more couples began to visit the area around the pond and it soon became known as the kissing pond because of its heart shape. The story of the pond and bridge is that any couple who kissed on the bridge would be together for life; years later couples that first kissed at the pond still come back to tell their story. Many met at the pond and some even shared their first kiss there. Today the pond, the bridge, and the surrounding gazebos serve as a place for lovers to sit and bask in each other. On occasion you’ll see a couple kissing, hoping that the pond and its promise will be true for them too.

Spinning the Cube

At the very heart of the DM building lays a big black cube. Years ago a group of chemistry students sat underneath it, to study for their finals. Out of intuition, they decided to spin the big black cube, just for the fun of it. Two weeks later, it was discovered that all of them made perfect scores on that exam, and they wondered how possible that was. They couldn't seem to find any possible clue, but the next semester, they studied together and spun the cube again. The same incident repeated itself. They knew something had to be the cause of their success, but they weren't too sure, until they realized their success coincided with the spinning of the cube. They decided to test fate and did not spin the cube on one occasion. Not only did they fail that exam, they all had to repeat the class. Then, did they realize the roots of their success. Ever since then, it has been advised we spin the cube 24 hours before your exam, for good luck, and all the success that comes with FIU would be yours.

Stepping on the Seal

In the front of the Graham center one can find the great seal of FIU, symbolizing her strength, unity and success. One of the men who engraved the seal jokingly said to his friend, “Imagine if a student steps on the seal and doesn't graduate within the expected time.” They all laughed and all forgot about it. Little did they know how powerful those words would be. Two years later, Javier Lopez came into FIU as a freshman with big dreams and the hope of completing college within 3years. He always wondered why the seal was engraved on the floor, instead of on the wall. He had little respect for it, so he stepped on it as he walked by. He did it consciously and continuously every time he went by it. Those words spoken two years before came to life. Not only did Javier not finish in 3 years, 8 years later he was still in FIU. He graduated in the 9 th year. Students have since been cautious, for their own good, about steeping on the precious seal.