Polar Plunge: 2021 — The Crescent

Reported by: Bryn Heikes

As the sun began to set on February 27th, International Polar Bear Day, over 400 George Fox University (GFU) students prepared for the annual GFU Polar Plunge.

Alice Marchuk, activities lead and creative director of GFU student involvement, estimates this tradition began around 2008, when the first Polar Plunge t-shirts were made. However, she speculates that a variation of the tradition might have originated even earlier. “Students back in the 60s would often play around in a fountain that used to be on campus,” she said, which might have led to the Plunge we all know today.

As with most things this year, the annual event took on a different look. Typically, students are bussed to Lake Tilikum, nine miles from campus. “This year, instead of heading to Lake Tilikum, we had to figure out a way to do it safely on campus,” she said. “The first thing that came to mind was Hess Creek, which around this time of year has a bit more volume due to the rainy season.” And thus, Hess Creek became the location for the 2021 Polar Plunge. A few other tweaks were made as well; masks were required, and students were broken into groups of 4-6 to avoid crowds.

For sophomore Kimi Spengler, it was her first time taking the plunge. “I honestly had no idea what to expect… [But] when I heard it was in the creek I was very excited!” she said.

Some students chose to wade gingerly across the creek, while others fully embraced the “plunge” mentality and dove all the way under. Spengler fell into the latter category. “You know I went in all the way!” she said, laughing. “It was definitely really muddy, and the initial shock of the water was really cold.”

Afterwards, students were herded over to the Amphitheatre, where bonfires, hot drinks, and brand-new polar plunge sweatshirts awaited them. When asked whether she would participate again next year, Spengler responded, “Yeah, definitely! It’s not even a question, I had a lot of fun!”

“We’re doing our best to keep traditions safely going on in the midst of a really hard time because we know how important it is for students to be in community,” Marchuk said, adding, “Keep an eye out for the return of a highly anticipated dance coming up in the next month or so!”