Football practice behind closed doors began Monday night. This was the occasion for that little sign “secret practice,” so significant to football fandom. It marks the advent of that period when the final rounding is given the team in preparation for the opening of the season. It also marks the advent of that season of fireside speculation where the dopesters hold forth in high glee and tell how much they — don’t know. And that little bug of anticipation gets into the blood and sets afire the spirit of enthusiasm.
And the sign of secret practice on the gates of Kincaid field is the beginning of the rally season. It is the occasion for the great old Oregon Spirit to simply ooze and inundate the campus with the manly enthusiasms of clean sportsmanship. Oregon Spirit is with us always. It fosters our democracy and gives fame to our alma mater. But a rally is the factor that makes it effervesce in the exuberance of the occasion.
And watch the old Oregon Spirit effervesce tomorrow morning!
Tomorrow morning is the first rally of the year. It is the first opportunity we are going to have of showing “Bez” and “Bill” and “Dean” and the “team” that we are behind them strong. It is the first opportunity we are going to have of showing them that we are going to give them everything we have got in the way of rooting and moral support.
We’ve got a hunch that Oregon has the greatest team in history this year. In fact we think that this is the year that Dobie will meet his Waterloo. But that is no reason why we should not get our — every mother’s son of us — and tell the coach and the team how great is our Oregon Spirit. For that is the spirit of “backing ’em up” like two years ago when Oregon had its weakest team. It was at a rally then that the students of Oregon turned out in a great demonstration of “pep” and the next day backed the team to a tie game with the famed Aggies. That was Oregon Spirit — that standing by the team through thick or thin.
And it is standing by the team tomorrow that we want to do. Out we must get and show a little zaz, and root till the lining of our lungs is raw and our vocal chords emit sounds like the croaking of the bull frog.
Editor’s note: This editorial was taken from the September 26, 1916, issue of the Emerald to offer some history in honor of Homecoming. Happy 125th birthday to the University, and Go Ducks!