1. The Natures of Spring
By Sarah Wyer
We are promised a spring every year, which is hopeful knowledge in the face of all the rain and frostiness of January and February. At a time when the cold whispers of winter are starting to toss even the most cheerful of people into a grumbling gloom, spring is a tangible renaissance to look forward to. A season that turns us away from the winter damp and flips a switch to bring beauty, sunlight and warmth to Eugene has quite the reputation to live up to.
This spring has been my first in Eugene. I have been so excited about the flowers and the sunshine that the steady progression of time has barely registered with me. It is with elation that I greet each day sans sweater, overjoyed to ride my bike to class instead of huddling beneath my rain jacket to the nearest bus stop. In my great enjoyment of the seasonality that actually occurs in Oregon, I am reminded of my hometown and the last springtime event that I worked at my old job.
I am from San Diego, nestled at the bottom of California like the last apple in a basket. Seasons are arbitrary there and the only real sign of spring is that more flowers are blooming. It never gets cold enough to kill geraniums and the eucalyptus are rarely bare of their musky leaves. Even so, the colors of San Diego pour across the city in blues and browns and only the occasional green. Spring is not a highly anticipated event in San Diego. It is far more like a slow realization, a vague awareness that more flowers are around. In Eugene, spring is energy, a greatly loved and much needed boost to the year.
Before moving to Eugene, I worked as a tour guide for a historic preservation organization. We would put on events several times a year, ranging from Day of the Dead to Christmas, but my favorites were in the springtime. The Historic Home Tour brought people from all over the county to a particular neighborhood in San Diego to tour and celebrate the beauty of well-preserved old houses. This event, being tied in with our mission as a non-profit, was always uplifting, but nothing was so celebratory of spring as May Day. The first Sunday of May was a beautiful occasion, and I will always remember the wonder that tickled my fingertips and lifted my lips into a smile as I walked around offering rose macaroons to women in spring dresses and whimsical hats. May Day was held at San Diego’s historic Marston House, my favorite location to work at, and allowed me ample opportunity to look at all the new snap dragons and leafy red bud trees as I chatted casually with the people who participated in acknowledging spring there. I had forgotten, for many years, to enjoy the growth of springtime in all its small flowery forms. May Day was a realization for me. Pay attention to the world around you, it said.
That feeling is something I remember well, and something I have had the pleasure to experience again in Eugene. Sometimes it is difficult to notice the changing world when it unfolds slowly. The change of the seasons in Eugene brings with it a fierce joy, consistent in every new day of spring.
2. Dancing
By Carolyne Snipes
Spring brings out everyone’s crazy side here at the University of Oregon, my roommate Elizabeth Bayer and I included.
This year, we have done many things together: plant trees, explore Eugene, and most of all, dance our hearts out through campus. With the current weather the best I have ever seen in my three years in Eugene, nothing has made me more joyous then spending time outside, especially at night. The warm air against my skin and the twinkling stars are the perfect setting for our hours long dance sessions.
This all started on a night when we were on our way to the campus bars. Dancing is something we both share as both a hobby and passion. Neither of us have been classically trained and we aren’t a part of any groups—we just love to dance. So, with my trusty smart phone in hand, we struck up the Pandora radio station hits and busted a move.
We never expected this to be one of our most memorable experiences. In the beginning it was just a fun way to get from point a to b with less boredom, but it soon turned in to a weekly ritual.
Saturday nights were prime time for our dancing. It was as if we were putting on a show for ourselves, but as time passed other people took note of our bold moves through campus. Occasinally we had a few joiners and the ones who’d critique our style, but it was never about impressing anyone, it was just the sheer enjoyment we felt from it.
As our temperatures rose and our laughter echoed through campus, all we could do was take in the feeling of a campus so open, and yet so closed. The darkness was both enticing and frightening all at once, but the music stood as a protection from any harm. All we wanted to do was dance, and all we needed was music and our bodies.
This is probably one of my best memories in college. I have never met a woman more free and fun as Elizabeth. She truly exemplifies what it means to be an individual and has shown me the true pleasures of simplicity. I have always wanted to have a memory of college that required nothing but music and a few good friends, and I definitely achieved that this year. As a junior, I only have one more year to enjoy college, but I can honestly say that this memory will stick out amongst all of my ‘typical’ college experiences.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Carolyne Snipes (left) and Elizabeth Bayer (right) enjoy spring.