Campout on the Quad
Who wouldn’t want to camp out on their college campus? Well at Utah State University, you can. On Sept. 24, the Hurd put on an activity called Campout on the Quad.
“We have free food, a bunch of fun games and you get to just camp out and hang with a bunch of friends,” said Taylor Sampson, the vice president of Athletics and Campus Recreation.
Andrew Watt and Easton Roos relax next to their tents on the Quad.
They offered hamburgers and hotdogs and had a dance party. There was no shortage of activities to take part in including Spikeball, volleyball and cornhole. There was a special guest appearance as well.
Utah State University’s new football coach, Blake Anderson, came to the campout, along with the entire football team. They were there to thank the students for their support this year and get them excited for the game the next morning.
The students had the freedom to choose which activities they wanted to be a part of and where they wanted to set up their tents. The HURD, a student-led USU Athletics organization, said they made sure here was something for everybody to enjoy, wanting to make the experience one to remember.
“We have a few events that we put on every year to try and get people excited for the games,” Sampson said. “The fun thing about the campout, we’re not watching a football game. We’re coming together to play games, watch a movie and just have fun. It’s geared towards sports, but we’re just there to hang out and have fun.”
Jared Craig Conner Snow throws a football with friends.
After the dance party, the students got to wind down and watch a movie together. The students gathered in front of the big screen with fire pits going and watched “The Blind Side.”
“The Blind Side got me in a football mood,” said Aaron Ellefson, a USU junior. “The school spirit that was there and the overall atmosphere was great.”
After the activities were done, people turned in for the night, but that wasn’t the end. The HURD offered students at the campout early-entry wristbands for the football game. They had a siren go off to alert everybody in the middle of the night that they were starting to hand them out, keeping that fun energy going even after everything had ended.
“It’s a college experience that you can’t get anywhere else,” said Kate Gibby, a USU junior. “There’s no other time in your life that you get to camp out on a school campus before a football game.”
Ultimately, through this activity and many more to come, The HURD said their goal is to get the students involved and excited in the athletics going on around campus. One way they’ve been trying to do that is through their new app, Utah State Aggies.
“The big thing that we are pushing in athletics in our new app,” Sampson said. “It has scores and schedules, and we have something called HURD Rewards. If you go to an event and check in, you get points that go towards prizes. I just want everyone to download this app, because it has all the information for the students to be more involved in athletics.”
Sports may not be for everyone, but there’s always something that the students can enjoy, and ways for them to show their excitement and support towards our athletic teams.
“The energy that the student section has at every event, every game, is always fun to be in and to be a part of,” Ellefson said. “It’s a unique and fun experience, and it’s also a way to get your mind off of school, even just for a little bit.”