The beginnings of the Mirror Lake Jump were pretty humble — fewer than 100 people participated in the first jump in 1990, when the Best Damn Band in the Land led a small march around campus.

The march ended at Mirror Lake, where several enthusiastic participants jumped in, beginning a tradition that has continued for two decades and now draws thousands of students.

Traditionally held on the Thursday before the annual game against the Michigan Wolverines, complications with Thanksgiving break have moved the officially “non-official” jump night to Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Last year drew more than 6,000 jumpers — all in a variety of spirit gear, war paint and sobriety levels. Jump night would be nothing without the presence of the Columbus Police Department, of course, complete with cavalry and mini watchtower.

This year, The O Patio & Pub, Three Olives Vodka, Red Bull and Coors Light have stepped up to the plate to sponsor; special towels to commemorate the event are available at The O Patio & Pub while supplies last. Find out more at www.mirrorlakejump.com.

A rite of passage, and always a source of good memories for years to come, the Mirror Lake Jump is an unstoppable phenomenon that students and Buckeye fans alike can participate in.

David Reidel remembers his first jump.

“It was freshman year, we just had a lot of people from our hall who went together – one guy got alcohol poisoning – but the rest of us had a great time,” he said. “It’s a tradition, you know, you can’t go here and not jump at least once.”

Rose Franks said,“One year my friend and I weren’t planning on jumping at all – neither of us had done it before – we just went to watch and we both ended up jumping in out sweatpants and rainboots. It was awesome.”

Not all jumpers are created equal, however; costumes and kayaks are frequently sighted on jump night.

Christie Taylor, a senior, remembers, “We met this one guy who had made wings out of a Red Bull carton and a captain’s hat out of a Bud Lite carton who was paddling around in an inner tube. We ended up getting pictures with him and christened him Captain Bud Lite for the rest of the evening.”

Some would-be captains chase the lake’s small duck population in their various makeshift rafts and boats, while other fans, often wearing capes of some sort, cannonball into the shallow depths of Mirror Lake.

Some, albeit ill advisedly, attempt to climb the flimsy trees by the lake and jump in, often on top of other jumpers cheering in the shallow end.

Call us crazy, but jump night is a night of celebration; even the controversial jump this past May after the death of Osama bin Laden was done with celebratory spirit. It may be cold, our team may not always be the best and we may all contract Lake Flu just before Thanksgiving and finals week, but the Mirror Lake Jump remains one of the best ways to end the football season and usher in the holidays. It’s a true Buckeye tradition, regardless of which night of the week it happens.