Each year thousands of University of Central Florida students come together to run into the Reflection Pond at Spirit Splash all with a shared goal, catching a Spirit Splash duck.
Many students achieve this goal, but most do not. However, there is a small group of students who obtain multiple ducks with the intentions of selling them. The UCF Class pages have a plethora of posts advertising the sales of Spirit Splash ducks, ranging in price from 5 to 25 dollars. Many students frown upon the sale of the coveted Spirit Splash duck.
“Personally I don’t think people should sell their ducks. Spirit Splash is pretty brutal, not going to lie, so I think people should hold onto their hard earned ducks. It also takes away a lot of the pride seeing dozens of people just trying to sell them for a quick buck as well as it diminishes the appeal of getting one if I can just buy it,” UCF student Houston Palmer said.
“I think that it is wrong and pathetic that people sell ducks after Spirit Splash. Spirit Splash is meant to get students to come together to celebrate our homecoming. Yes the ducks at Spirit Splash are fun, but they are not the reason we hold the event,” UCF student Becky Klipin commented.
One-way students planning to sell ducks after Spirit Splash get so many is the use of nets, using nets makes it easier for a person to not only get one duck, but several ducks.
“I think nets should be banned because it’s unfair to everyone else that’s there and playing fair to win the duck. Plus the people with nets end up getting a dozen (ducks) and then they go and sell them instead of just giving them out around them and letting everyone have a chance to get a once at least one in their college years at UCF,” UCF student Nikhaar Surti said.
“It’s a cheap method, especially if you use it to catch more than one duck. It also ruins the chances of anyone behind you getting a duck,” UCF student Adam Tara said.
Spirit splash is a great event but sometimes students’ emotions get the better of them.
“I think it’s a cool way to rally school spirit. But I don’t like how aggressive everyone gets. This guy gloated to his friends that he pushed a girl to get a duck. And I was pushed too, which is why my whole leg is scraped. The event would be better if ducks were more abundant,” UCF student Jennifer Santana added.
Even with the nets, aggression, and students selling ducks for a profit after the event each year, UCF students still enjoyed this UCF tradition.
“I love spirit splash and the whole tradition. It was one of the factors why I chose to attend UCF. I just wish they had more ducks,” Nikhaar Surti said.
Photo by Nick Russett
