My name’s Grace Anderson and I’m going into my second year at the UO! After my first year here, a specific place that has grown to be on my list of all time favorites is Autzen Stadium. Growing up in a big football-fan family, I always looked forward to rooting for a college team and being amidst the joy that a game day atmosphere can bring, and Autzen Stadium is the perfect setting for just that.
We all recognize Autzen Stadium as a staple structure at the University of Oregon, standing as a repeated destination for students and the Eugene community each fall season. Thousands and thousands of people fill the chilled, metal bleachers hoping for a Ducks win. Those bleachers are never quiet; screams and shouts (literally, “Shout[s]”) and cheers consistently echo throughout the stadium and the audience is whimsical and giddy. The field glows of green and yellow as the players progress up and down the grass, hoping to score a touchdown and get the crowd roaring.
Our beloved mascot makes an appearance by motorcycle, speeding down the yard lines as if it were a football player rushing the ball toward the end zone. Flags and cheerleaders on both sides of the runway, all sprinting in the same direction of the motorcycle, bringing the voices of the crowd louder and filling the arena with spirit. There is at least somebody in your row or party that has a tin foil wrapper with a hotdog buried inside, drenched in ketchup and mustard. The game is over, either ending in victory or defeat, and the crowds and groups meander back through the woods and over the bridge of the rushing Willamette, everybody eventually parting ways to their separate lives.
I feel that Autzen is one of the few places that physically brings the whole duck community together; students to faculty, freshman to seniors, current ducks to alumni, parents and friends, players to fans, and the list goes on of people who are all gathered to celebrate and cheer on the same thing. It’s that communal feeling and the gathered spirit that truly makes the experience for me, and I can’t wait to be there soon in the fall!
