Here’s what Oregon State students are saying about the rivalry.
Andrew Burton
“Well, lets be honest, a college where a majority of its students attended high school within 10 minutes of the campus can’t be very interesting. And a duck? Really? Come on – I’ll admit that beavers aren’t that much better, but at least it’s the state animal. Oh, And lets not mention the fact that ‘notable’ alumni include Eric A. Stillwell (Star Trek writer) and Ben Masters (actor on NBC’s soap opera ‘Passions’).”
Kellen Hade
“What is there to like about the University of Oregon? First of all, Oregon State is the largest state university, yet we are treated like the “little brother” to that place in Eugene. We have all the real majors up in Corvallis, too. Business administration, while good enough for your football team, takes a backseat to our engineering, science, and animal studies degrees up here. Plus UO is the trendy choice among fair-weather fans who flock from California to live in Portland, and Nike reaps the benefits of increased sales – money that is, in some part, funneled back into Oregon. Plus, your locker room makes me jealous.”
Matt Lewis
“Well, aside from the fact that (Oregon’s) colors are absolutely disgusting, and don’t go with any holiday (Black and Orange = Halloween) … They also act like they’re Phil Knight’s red-headed step children. I mean, really, when I see someone who has green and yellow on, I assume they’ve either been attacked by a mob of rabid clowns or that they’re from Nike University. It’s not really something you’d want to be compared to.”
Sara Cain
“Born and bred a Beaver, I don’t have to defend my hatred for the University of Oregon. It’s in my blood. My parents met at OSU and taught me how to say “Go Beavers!” before I even knew what a Beaver was. In my house it’s a sin to wear the colors green and yellow together.”
Nick Vardanega
“Actually I never harbored any strong hatred for the University of Oregon. In high school I always rooted for both Oregon teams. When I decided to attend OSU, I was forced to go partisan and in accordance with university policy, I had to sign a written agreement that I would hate the UO for all time (also I think I waived certain constitutional rights). Anyway, now we are sworn enemies, like the snake and the mongoose. I’m the snake … Or I mean the mongoose. Whichever one doesn’t get eaten.”
–The Daily Barometer staff
Here’s what Oregon students are saying about the rivalry and the Ducks’ chances on Friday.
Sahmie Yun, 22, senior, music major, from Portland
“Because every time I meet someone from OSU, as soon as they find out I’m from Oregon, they immediately tell me to f— off, or say that their school is better or something like that. It’s just off-putting.”
“It’ll be really hard to beat the Beavers because they are in stride right now.”
Colin Chisholm, 22, senior, economics major, from Eugene
“I do watch the games, and I don’t like the Beavers. I think I was just harassed into (taking that stand) being from Eugene. Oh, and their colors piss me off. Plus I went up to Corvallis for the Civil War two years ago, and got soda thrown on me at the game. So I hate their fans, too.”
“A month ago, I would have said Oregon (would win). Now, I wouldn’t put my money on the Ducks at all.”
Andre Nakazawa, 21, senior, economics and political science major, from Portland.
“I don’t like the Beavers because a bunch of my friends from high school go to school up there, and it’s just about bragging rights, you know?”
“It’ll be nice to get a win on their soil and to break the streak. I mean hasn’t it been like 10 years since we last won there? I think we could win. We’ve lost two in a row now, it’s time to win one.”
Alex Hall, 18, freshman, pre-education major, from Glide, Ore.
“I grew up in a Duck home. I think (people don’t like the Beavers) mostly because people enjoy the friendly rivalry -or semi-friendly, depending on how good a sport you are – we have, and I think people just like to have that little extra edge when they’re watching the game, just to get more involved. In my family there’s always been a friendly rivalry. And we’re Duck fans more because I grew up in more of a liberal home, and Oregon State is a little more conservative. I think because of the backgrounds of the schools being on somewhat opposing sides of the political spectrum.”
“Realistically, I think we have a good shot at winning this weekend. We’ve got a strong team this year and hopefully we’ll be able to pull through.”
– Stefanie Loh