What It Means to Be A Duck

Caitlin H.

December 27, 2009 - 5:32 PM

Back in Eugene again! After a wonderful holiday season at home it feels refreshing to have ‘flown south' for another term. Being in Ridgefield for Christmas was the chance I needed to catch up with friends and family, but now that I'm in Eugene I feel energized and ready for the coming term. I suppose it feels like returning to a different kind of ‘home.' I hope your holiday season was as lovely!

As I took the exit off the freeway and caught my first glimpse of Eugene I noticed two things: 1) Eugene is very much a college-town, teeming with life while school is in session, and feeling a little more empty when the UofO is on vacation. 2) The atmosphere of Eugene is unique and identifiable. It means something to be from Eugene. It means something to be a Duck.

For Christmas this year my Grandparents gave me an autographed copy of the book What it Means to Be a Duck by Rob Moseley. I haven't had the time to read it cover to cover, but I read a few passages over the break. It set in motion my own thoughts about what makes this place special.

I came up with at least 5 unique characteristics:

The People: Simply put: Eugene is full of some of the nicest people I've ever met. I feel safe here. I feel connected here. I feel like when I'm sitting next to someone on the bus I could have a meaningful conversation or just give a friendly "hello" and that wouldn't' be considered weird. There are lots of different people, with many different ideas amongst them. And the one thing keeping us all together - the people of Eugene seem open minded enough and tolerant enough to co-exist with diversity.

The Places: Eugene has it all - hometown, Mom and Pop style stores, farmers markets, major chains and department stores. It has parks and large public spaces. Eugene has places to experience. And what's more, Eugene boasts the public transit and biking lanes allowing many citizens opportunity and access to those places.

The Perfect Size: Big enough that the city has life and a diverse array of things to try, but small enough that it hasn't lost its hometown feel. You can't help but wonder when you go out to a movie or go out to dinner who you might bump into.

The Location: Nestled between the Cascades and the Oregon coastline and rivers flowing through the city, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Sense of Place: What separates Eugene from any other place to me is the feeling I have about the area, in addition to the actual physical landscape. I feel connected here. And you can't help but start to feel it once you have spent some time in the area. When I see the Oregon "O" anywhere, in another city or another state, even another country, it is something to smile about and give a friendly wave or a "Go Ducks." People generally respond in kind. When I meet someone from the area or who has been to the area I feel connected to them too. And when I leave, I feel very much like I still have a family back in Eugene. The feeling of what it means to be a Duck isn't something you know and understand for four years while you go to school, it becomes a lifelong experience. It changes you. I can only encourage you to experience it for yourself.