Bryant Pond has long been a peaceful centerpiece of campus life — a place where students have gathered to relax, celebrate milestones, and enjoy the changing seasons. Since Bryant's Smithfield campus opened in 1971, the pond has quietly witnessed decades of traditions, spontaneous moments, and community events.
Here's a look back at some of the stories and scenes that have unfolded along its banks:
Wading into Shenanigans
- In 1983, pranksters emptied detergent into Bryant Pond, creating a huge bubble bath.
- In the 1980s, a student waterskied across the pond using a car, tow rope, and a fiberglass
water ski. - In 1977, one student’s car mysteriously ended up in the water.
- During the winter, students ice skated and played hockey on the pond when it froze over; on warm spring days they wiled away the hours floating on inflatable tubes.
What and who has been in the pond?
- Bryant students: Being thrown into the pond for your birthday or taking a dip prior to graduation were time-honored traditions.
- Fish: Bass and sunfish live in the pond today; however, one student reported bumping into an eight-inch-long white goldfish during a plunge, according to a 1983 Archway article.
Fresh out of Bryant Pond, this fish's photo made it into the student-run newspaper, The Archway. Rubber ducks: An annual duck race takes place each year during Family and Friends Weekend. The rubber ducks make their way across the pond and under the bridge that bisects it; the first 20 to cross the finish line win their patrons a prize.
- Ronald K. Machtley ’21H: The former Bryant University president announced that he would jump in Bryant Pond if 50 percent of the Class of 2009 contributed to their senior class gift. He fulfilled his promise and made a splash at the end of the academic year.