The Duck Pond

How a mathematics activity using Simpson’s rule in Calculus class morphed into building a water feature in the courtyard for the ducks that hatched each year. [It was] a few students with a big dream [who] made it a reality for all to enjoy.

— Diane Lisky Martin

An iconic part of Rocky’s culture is the duck pond found in the courtyard, but while many people enjoy it, few people know how it came to be.

 

It all started back in August of 2000, when a small club discussed a calculus problem using Simpson’s Rule. The club was the MESA Club which stands for: Math, Engineering, Science, and Achievement. Unfortunately, the club no longer exists, but their legacy lives on.

 

The club met once a week, during lunch and included guest speakers. Upon learning Simpson’s Rule the students had to find the volume of a shape, they had an activity which included foam and learning blocks. They then experimented with the concepts of their assignment. One student suggested to take the shape they were learning  and build the fish pond we know today.

 

Prior to their idea the janitors would place kiddie pools in the courtyard for the ducks to settle  in in the springtime. The process to the pond took weeks, both to build and put together. The actual digging took a day.

 

The students took a field trip to the city to grab the materials to piece everything together. They ordered rocks to put in and around the pond but the rocks ended up not fitting in the door so the volleyball girls helped out with the delivery of the rocks.

 

When the pond was completed, it was thriving with turtles, fish, and ducks.

 

Diane Liskey Martin who was the teacher of the calculus class and in charge of the MESA Club was also in charge of the pond and would tend to it every morning. She would even name the ducks and ducklings. In love with the pond, she even built one at her house. Diane retired in 2004 and today the pond is now run by Cindy Ronan.

 

This is the first year the pond is being winterized, but a lot has changed since the beginning as there are really no more ducks, no more turtles and, unfortunately, a lot more vandalism. Students used to sit and eat lunch by the pond and admire it, now people abuse it and disrespect it. Trash has been thrown and rocks have broken, fish have even been added to the pond because students catch them for themselves. Perhaps if students know the hard work and thought that has gone into the pond, they’ll care more.