On the night of Sunday, March 21, I sat in the Kirner-Johnson Building, rushing to submit my last three assignments. I expected the night ahead to be like the typical end to any weekend, so I settled into the mess of papers and books around me. At 9:00 p.m., I heard a splash and my computer hit the floor as I jolted upright. I turned around to see a student swimming in the KJ water feature. I cannot say I had not thought about attempting this before or maybe even stuck my shoe in to test the waters. However, my mind quickly changed when I read the comment under the

Jodel

post of someone’s bare feet in the water, saying that the person would spread ‘toe-vid’ in the water feature. So, I was glad that someone else took on the challenge.

A few minutes later, the swimmer and his videographers walked out and accepted my congratulations. Still in shock, I stared back at the water dripping down the sides, forming a puddle on the carpet. I used to believe that not every body of water is for swimming; a puddle of slush is not as inviting as the ocean and a bathtub is not the same as a lake. However, as I watched this man belly-flop from one ledge to the next with two masks hiding his whole face, it occurred to me that the world is your pool. Ironically, we’re allowed to unmask in pools. There is a pond outside of KTSA, a meltable ice-skating rink, a stream in Root Glen and a toilet in every building. No one is stopping you from taking a dip!

There is much speculation about why the water feature in KJ suddenly turned on a few weeks ago. Some say it is a way to impress prospective students as tours start to become in-person and others see it as an invitation to snorkel. Whatever the reason, I appreciate the decision. Climbing the feature is a much bigger challenge now that it’s filled with water.

I have many other unanswered questions about KJ, the most pressing of which concerns the third floor or lack thereof. I am looking at the sky through those windows now as I write this. I often stare at it as I procrastinate homework, thinking about how I could

hypothetically

climb up there. A harness from the rock wall would help. When people claim that it doesn’t exist, I ask why the KJ architects would build an entire floor for decoration. This discussion once proved that the whole ceiling is an illusion and we’re all doing work outside. I also want to know if the tunnels underneath KJ are real or just a hilarious prank on first-years that erased hours of my life.

I am getting sidetracked so here is my final opinion: the KJ swimmer was entertaining and I am thoroughly impressed. That does not mean I think we should turn the water feature into a waterslide and hire a lifeguard; ‘toe-vid’ is a valid concern. If you are feeling inspired, think of an original KJ adventure, but do not touch the third floor. That is my plan!