By Ivy Rockmore PZ ’27

The Pitzer Fountain, situated on the Mounds, is the symbol of Pitzer – so much so that it is pictured on every Student ID card. Yet, not even the senior class has been enrolled long enough to have ever seen it turned on.

As of this week, that’s about to change.

When California experienced a historic five-year drought in the mid-2010s, Pitzer turned off the fountain to do its part for water conservation. In that time little was said to students on whether it would ever be returning. Yet on the evening of Sept. 13th, Sanya Dhama PZ ’24 sent an email reaching out for student input on if the fountain should be restarted. 

“I [am] collecting community opinions regarding the fountain on the Mounds through this Google Form,”  Dhama wrote in the email. “It would be fantastic if you could give your input on this matter!”

On Sep. 24, Annie Voss PZ ’26 announced in an email to students that “the Senate is discussing restarting the Pitzer Fountain.” 

Voss, who serves on the Curriculum Committee of the Student Senate, noted that the Senate will continue to observe student responses.

Some students, like Ezra Levinson PZ ’27, are curious about the environmental impacts of the fountain.

“[I] would want to know more about the water source and consumption, and also the splash zone – how much currently usable space would be wet?”  Levinson said.

Dhama aims to keep this in mind, noting she aims to uphold Pitzer’s Core Value of “Environmental Sustainability” in recent Senate meetings.

“I’m so excited to have fun with friends around the fountain and enjoy its beauty,” Serenity Sowah-White PZ ’27 said.

Things are looking up for fountain-lovers. On Oct. 4, the fountain was turned on for roughly 20 minutes for the first time in years. Perhaps soon enough, the mounds will be bubbling with more than just laughter – maybe even water.