Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Does this mean I get senior discounts now?

Korrin B.

September 27, 2009 - 1:00 PM

So, here it goes, my senior year. Well, my first senior year - let's be honest, everyone deserves to have two! Now, in my seasoned age here at the University of Oregon, I have already begun to notice a few changes. I'm not sure quite why, but for some reason, this year already seems so much different to me than the past three and, technically, it hasn't even begun yet. I shall explain.

I have just had so many feelings since my return to the Emerald City. First of all, I was expecting to come back to Eugene and breathe a sigh of relief. Here it is! My beautiful Eugene, so full of incredible things to do and amazing people to see! Although this feeling still existed to a certain extent, I also found myself hit a brick wall of boredom. Maybe it wasn't boredom, but I cannot think of a better word right now. I came back to Eugene after romping around all summer in the city that never sleeps and found, well, exactly what I had left. I have been in Eugene for three solid years now and although I still find it to be a wonderful city, I'm growing restless. I want more. I want adventure! I want new streets to drive down and new coffee shops to explore. I want the world!

My next feeling came when I met with the internship director for the Planning, Public Policy, and Management (PPPM) department a few days ago. I was talking with her about future possibilities for competitive internships and how I can get more connected with various organizations throughout Eugene. She invited me to go watch the second year PPPM graduate students present their policy proposals from a 48-hour project they were assigned. Basically, they had to assess an assigned policy failure and come up with a policy alternative within 48 hours. There was a large clock in the PPPM department counting down their every second. I found it so fun and fascinating. Talking with the internship director made my mind dance. The intellectual conversation we had enlightened my very being. I became oddly excited for writing my honors thesis and for all of the academic opportunity that awaits me. All of a sudden I couldn't wait to just - learn. Go figure, after three years of college all I really want to do is...learn more.

A third feeling embarked upon me on Saturday when I attended the football game against Cal at Autzen Stadium. As a side note, what a game! 43-3, Oregon victory! Thirty-nine unanswered points! Taking down the number six ranked Cal Bears! Go Ducks! Now, I have always been a HUGE Duck fan and I still am and I will forever be. However, I'm a senior now and my metabolism for sports enthusiasm just isn't quite what it used to be. During my freshman year, I can't even count the amount of times I camped out for tickets or the amount of times I camped out just to get inside Autzen just so that I could stand for three hours before the game even started. Game by game, I soon found my attendance at Autzen to become somewhat of a spiritual journey. I would surrender myself to its almighty power and breathe in its earth quacking energy. I thought of going to Autzen as going to church. On Saturday, some of my friends told me to meet them on campus at 10:15am, so we could all walk over the great footbridge together. I woke up, got in the shower, and then received a call a little after 8:30am saying that they had already left and to hurry. One of my friends was awesome enough to wait for me and so I met her at 9:30am and we began our sprint to the admired stadium. Why we needed to sprint, I had no idea. Why we needed to get there so early just to stand around forever waiting for the game to start, didn't feel very relaxing to me. It was all just too stressful. As I stood in Autzen on Saturday and watched the cheerleaders twirling about and glanced around at all of the topless male fans drunkenly yelling who knows what, I noticed that there was something missing. I couldn't find the feeling. In a stadium with over 58,000 Duck fans, I couldn't find my spirit. Now, don't get this confused, I still loved the game and I still love the Ducks and I will still be attending more games this season. All I'm saying, is that I wouldn't have minded taking a bow and graciously letting the freshman take on the responsibility of the crazy fan. I could've been happier sitting at the top of the student section with some nice back support. I realized, maybe sports aren't all that the University is about. I mean, just the other day, all I could think about was - learning.

The final "feeling-evoking" event that I will reflect on happened just today. My cousin is now attending the University of Oregon. She is a freshman and is living in the dorms. I met her on campus today to have some lunch. For anyone who does not know, the Fire and Spice Grill in the Hamilton Complex makes the best omelets this side of the equator and on the weekends, they make these delicious omelets until 4:00pm. I had an omelet today with my cousin. She paid with meal points and I paid with cash. I was the only one in that building paying with cash. Anyway, my cousin had lost her student ID card, so she just told the cashier what her number was. I don't remember the last six digits she said. All that stuck in my head was the, "951." 951?! 1?! When did that happen?! It is 950, thank you. Everyone knows that student ID numbers start with 950. Emphasis on the "0!" They always have and they always, well, won't, I found out. I felt too old for that building, but for the love of omelet, I embraced the feeling. I really enjoyed talking with my cousin. I found myself reminiscing on my year as a freshman and I could so easily relate to so many of the things that she was feeling and doing. I had to stop myself at times from talking too much and giving too much advice. I sounded OLD!

Moral of the story? College is shaping me into a woman with endless possibilities. My world is expanding before my very eyes and with that comes great change. As my college years go by, I find myself facing more and more of these "senior moments." I feel the pull away from deranged fanaticism and instead toward academic opportunity. I feel the need to get out and see more of the world before a career settles me down. I feel myself looking at my younger peers and trying to guide them down a good path, while knowing that every experience is part of their journey. The one thing that has remained constant since my freshman year? My love of spur of the moment dance parties alone with myself in my room. Tonight's playlist: "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift.