Creating a legacy on Asbury’s campus can be as simple as throwing a television out of a fire escape or having a memorable hairdo. One does not have to start a campus-wide revolution to get a tradition started. For one student, creating his legacy is all about having others find it for him.
Sophomore Jonah Fern is the man behind the tiny plastic baby revolution. This idea was the product of procrastination, pushing off assignments and an Amazon Prime free trial. “A great use for a free trial if I do say so myself,” he said.
With over 150 tiny plastic newborns hidden around campus, students everywhere are catching “baby fever.” Originally, Fern did not plan on distributing these neonates around campus, but thought it would be fun de-stresser for his peers to find. “You know a great way to loosen things up?” he asked. “Hide plastic babies around campus. Who doesn’t like plastic babies?”
He thinks it is humorous to see people try and find them on campus and even thinks of it as a competition of sorts. One student in particular, sophomore Madelyn Barren, made it her personal mission to capture all of the plastic tots.
“For some reason I got it in my head to make it a competition or something. I started telling people if they found one to give it to me because I wanted to find the most,” said Barren.
She mentioned that she rallied others to also help her in her search, and that it became a fun way to run around campus and procrastinate her homework. Barren has collected over twenty of these tiny children with the help of her friends.
Fern stated that the majority of them can be found in Hughes, Reasoner, Morrison, Kinlaw and even the Stuce. Some may be easier to find than others, but Fern made sure some stayed hidden for future Asburians to find.
For some, this revolution is less about finding multiple infants and more about connecting with them. Junior Ethan Sirles took a liking to one of Fern’s babes and even named him with the help of a friend.
“I met Peppermint in Johnson and decided to adopt him and rescue him from the terror that is that dorm,” he said. Sirles stated that the two have bonded and even make Instagram stories of their adventures together. The two have become inseparable according to him. “I take Peppermint everywhere with me, sometimes he naps in my pocket.”
Aside from Fern wanting to create a fun legacy, he also wants to impact Asbury’s social culture. He plans on scattering even more fetuses on campus, but this time, he is aiming at being more inclusive. It is already in the works that Fern will be purchasing more plastic spawns; however, they will be more representative of Asbury’s campus.
“I’m buying ethnic babies,” he said.
