Cries of excitement echoed through the halls of Edison Elementary on Thursday as University athletes and cheerleaders visited the school for the annual “Put the Civil Back in Civil War.”
The program was founded by Will Keim five years ago in response to escalating violence at collegiate sporting events. Now organized by the Greek Life offices of the University and Oregon State, “Put the Civil Back in Civil War” brings athletes and mascots from the two universities to elementary schools in their respective towns to espouse the value of teamwork and sportsmanship.
“It’s great to see all the kids so excited; its really amazing,” said Duck wide receiver John Esa. Esa added that community involvement is particularly important to him because he grew up in the Eugene public school system.
“I think it’s cool for everybody, but it is just that much more rewarding because I think the kids respond a little bit more, since I’m from around here,” he said.
The audience did respond to the players, who towered imposingly over the more than 100 students who filled the Edison gym for the 45-minute assembly. While waiting in the school’s entrance for the assembly to begin, an excited group of students swarmed the players, waving scraps of paper and begging for autographs from anyone more than 6 feet tall. The excitement only increased upon the arrival of the Duck, whose strutting and random hugging of teachers was greeted with cheers from the laughing students.
“The energy is great,” Greek Life event Coordinator Erin Muessle said. “You can’t help but have a good time.”
As the event’s founder, Keim directed the assembly. He spoke to the young students primarily of the importance of respect and academic dedication, in between performances by the cheerleaders and a football team skit. It was difficult for the athletes to repress grins as Keim led the children in chants of friendship and courtesy; however, Keim said the message underlying the event’s jovial atmosphere is actually very serious.
“There are some really ridiculous things that have happened on campuses,” Keim said. “When peoples’ teams win and they go out and trash their towns or schools, what’s the point of the game?”
Keim — the author of “Fan Etiquette,” a book on violence perpetrated by collegiate spectators — was himself the target of fan harassment when he took his family to the 2001 Oregon State v. Fresno State game.
“My wife was threatened; I was harassed,” he said. “Just leaving the stadium was one of the scariest experiences of my life.”
Keim’s program has been lauded nationwide as a progressive response to the growing severity of fan misbehavior, gaining recognition in newspapers such as The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune and drawing praise from schools throughout the Pacific-10 Conference.
Despite this, the gravity of the event’s underlying themes was not able to dampen the mood at Edison on Thursday. Although representatives from Oregon State failed to attend, Muessle and Keim managed to carry the program through on schedule.
“I think that things were definitely successful,” Muessle said. “The point of this whole event is to show kids that sports aren’t about hating the other team, but about teamwork and just playing the game.”
Keim was also positive about the program.
“When we went to Adams Elementary in Corvallis, the kids cheered the Duck,” he said. “That is the whole point right there.”
In addition to an entertaining assembly, the Interfraternity Councils and the Panhellenic Councils of both universities donated $500 to the opposing city’s elementary school.
“This is just a really good opportunity,” said freshman Duck quarterback Brady Leaf. “Of course on Saturday it is going to be intense — its even more intense than I thought it would be — but we don’t hate them. This just gives us a chance to show the kids what it’s really about.”