By CORBAN GIBSON ’29
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 30 Oct 2026
For many students at Houghton University (HU), Shen Pond is just a pond behind Shenawana (Shen) Hall. But for Shen residents, it has a reputation of its own. Between its smell, the stories about what might be hiding under the water and its history with Shen traditions, there is a lot more to this pond than meets the eye.
Chris Greene ‘28, reigning Shen resident of the year, also known as Shenanigus, described Shen Pond as both “a punishment spot and a celebration spot.” According to Greene, new Shen members used to be thrown into the pond as part of an initiation tradition. That practice has since stopped, but people still jump in after losing bets or as part of celebrations.
Greene experienced this himself during Shen’s initiation night in 2025. He said he did not want to get his outfit dirty but ended up jumping in anyway. Since then, he said he has jumped into the pond four more times. Even after all that, Greene still described the pond as pretty gross, although he admitted it was not quite as bad as he expected when he first got in.
Carson Schmieg ‘29, the previous winner of Shen’s Got Talent, had a similar opinion. He called the pond “one of the wonders of Houghton,” but also said he would not swim in it for a million dollars. Schmieg mentioned that there is a noticeable smell when walking past the pond, and he allegedly saw it bubble once. While nobody knows exactly what causes these things, they have helped give the pond the reputation it has today.
The bigger question, though, is what is actually inside the pond. According to Shen’s Assistant Resident Director, Matt Dunmire ‘28, rumors include a three seat couch, several yard signs, a piece of a car bumper and a ridiculous number of disc golf discs. Dunmire shared a story about a friend who went into the pond and pulled out around 45 discs before giving up because there were still so many more.
Dunmire summed up the pond pretty well with one line: “Shen Pond is the only pond I know where you’re more likely to find a couch than a fish.”
There are other rumors, too. Dunmire heard that biology students once tested the water and found an unknown type of bacteria, but was not sure if the story was true. Without confirmation it remains just a rumor. Still, it is the kind of story that makes people wonder what else could be down there.
Despite its reputation, Shen Pond seems to have a special place in the Shen community. Greene believes it brings people together, especially when residents watch someone jump in. He explained that jumping into the pond might not be fun at the time, but it can turn into a funny memory later.
So is Shen Pond really as bad as people say? It certainly has a smell and a reputation, and there are plenty of stories about what might be hiding underneath the surface. But it is also connected to years of Shen traditions and memories. Whether there is a couch, dozens of disc golf discs or something else down there, one thing is clear, Shen Pond has become a part of life at HU and its strange reputation probably is not going away anytime soon. ★
