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Traditions can come and go, but many beloved �������� traditions have endured over the years and are providing a sense of connection among current students and to previous generations. Here we look at 10 traditions that continue to bring the Pomona community together.

The number 47

In 1964, two Pomona students set out to find occurrences of the number 47 on campus to prove that the number occurs more than one would expect. Professor Donald Bentley then developed a facetious proof that all numbers are equal to 47. Since then, the number has become an unofficial mascot of sorts for Pomona. Students, faculty and alumni notice the number seemingly everywhere and include it when a random number is needed, such as in email addresses and TV scripts. On April 7 each year, the College celebrates 4/7 Day and the impact of its students and alumni.

Fountaining on birthdays

If your birthday falls during the academic year, you can expect to be thrown into one of the many fountains on campus on your special day. You don’t know when it might happen; the surprise could take place at midnight or anytime the next day. Even though no one particularly enjoys getting picked up and getting soaking wet, the tradition has persisted as a way to celebrate one’s friends.

Harry Potter holiday dinner

Each December, the staff of Frary Dining Hall—an imposing building with a vaulted ceiling and dark wood panels—transform the space into the cafeteria of Hogwarts, hanging up flags of the different houses and preparing butter beer and other wizard fare. The magical event allows Pomona students to realize their wizarding dreams for one night a year.

Mufti

Pomona’s secret society, which originated in 1958, plasters small sheets of paper around campus with simple but cryptic messages offering social commentary on happenings at the College. The notes usually include clever wordplay and are affixed with glue in a figure eight shape.

Omelets at Frank

Brunch at Frank Dining Hall is a favorite meal for many students, and the made-to-order omelets are a big reason why. Diners are able to select the ingredients for their custom omelets, choosing from a variety of vegetables, cheeses and meats. There is almost always a line for the omelet bar, which is on the patio of Frank these days, but students say it’s worth the wait. Watch a who makes the omelets.

Orientation Adventure

Two days after new students move into their dorms in August, they embark on Orientation Adventure (OA) trips. The program, which began in 1995, is designed to help students meet new people and ease their transition to college. For three days, students experience wilderness, cultural and entertainment options around Los Angeles. This year’s trips included museum, theater, rock climbing, camping, and backpacking options, all led by older students.

Painting Walker Wall

Built in 1956 on the northern edge of Walker Beach as a flood barrier, the wall has been used as a public forum for students to express opinions and advertise events since the early 1970s. In 1975, the College recognized it as a free speech wall. Now, every fall during New Student Orientation, sponsor groups each paint a section of the wall together.

Ski-Beach Day

The annual spring event organized by the takes advantage of the campus’ proximity to the San Gabriel Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. In the morning, a busload of Pomona students is transported to the slopes of Mountain High Resort and then to the sands of an Orange County beach for the second half of the day.

Sponsor groups

Before new students arrive on campus, they are assigned to sponsor groups of 10-20 people who live on the same hall. Older students serve as sponsors, living among the group and providing guidance to the new students, known affectionately as their “sponsees.” The groups provide a built-in cohort as soon as students move onto campus.

Through the Gates

Another tradition that takes place during New Student Orientation, this one sends new students through the College gates, passing the inscription, “Let only the eager, thoughtful and reverent enter here.” Four years later, on the day before Commencement, students march through the College gates again, this time in the other direction. They are left with the charge, “They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind.” During Alumni Weekend each spring, alumni once again have the opportunity to enter campus through the gates during the Parade of Classes.