Superstitions of the Crim Dell…

I know you all have heard it before…but the College of W&M is very pretty. I really do love going to a school where historic preservation is a priority. Just yesterday I spent my entire afternoon ‘studying’ on the sunken garden and it made economics seem much better. Yet my favorite spot at W&M is the Crim Dell meadow.

The Crim Dell meadow is one of the best-kept secrets from those that do not attend W&M. It is a little cove in-between the Sunken Garden and the Crim Dell (W&M’s personal river running through campus). There are cute little benches you can sit on while you chat with a friend after class and a couple of brass figurines donated by various alumni to keep you company. I have seen people set up a picnic blanket in the Crim Dell meadow as well.

For those of you who don’t already know, there are many traditions and superstitions regarding the Crim Dell. It is superstition that if a couple crosses the Crim Dell bridge and kiss at its peak, they are destined to live happily ever after. Yet if the two lovers break up, the spouse must throw her ex-lover off the Crim Dell bridge to break a curse, or risk being single forever. It is also superstition that if you cross the Crim Dell bridge alone, you will remain alone for all eternity.

On a lighter note, the Crim Dell bridge is part of an underground William & Mary tradition entitled the Triathlon. The Triathlon is something every William & Mary senior should take part in before they graduate (I have had lots of friends who’ve even participated in this event the first week of school). The first part of the Triathlon is jumping the Colonial Williamsburg governor’s palace fence after-hours. Then you streak the sunken garden and finally swim in the Crim Dell river. Oh, and nakedness throughout the entire ordeal is a must, to become a ‘true’ triathlon participant.

Actually, while at the Crim Dell meadow today I ran into my friend Meredith and her friends in the organization SOAP (Student Organization Animal Protection). It was ‘pet a puppy day’ to raise awareness about animal cruelty and protection. Just another reason why I love the Crim Dell Meadow, it can be a great place to sit in study, or to hang out with friends and play with cute furry animals!

Potential New Friends of Mine:

Classic View of the Crim Dell Pond (the Crim Dell meadow is behind the bridge):

– Brynn Koeppen ’11