Year’s first snow doesn’t deter Aggies from night on the Quad
In the past, USU has been recognized nationally for having one of the best student sections in college sports. The student section, better known as the Hurd, is made up of students who demonstrate school spirit and support for the various athletic programs.
These students and fans came together to support the Aggie football team on Thursday by spending the night on the Quad to guarantee themselves a seat in Romney Stadium for Friday’s BYU-USU football game.
Charley Riddle, a senior majoring in biology and a member of the Hurd committee, was very pleased with the turnout of the event.
“I thought there was going to be maybe 600-700 students attending the event, and that would have been on perfect weather conditions,” Riddle said.
When it started snowing early Thursday evening, Riddle was unsure about what was going to happen. He said he still hoped for a great turnout, and so the camp out continued as planned.
The rain and snow didn’t keep students away, and tents continued to be set up late into the night. Some students thought the poor weather conditions just added to the experience.
“It was freezing, but it was worth it,” said Jenessa Petty, a junior studying to be a nurse. “That’s what the college experience is all about, doing crazy things that you’ll never get the opportunity to do again.”
Although she was hesitant when she headed to the Quad on Thursday night, Petty said she became excited when she saw how many tents were set up and how “pumped up” the students were.
“Once I saw everyone out there having fun and enjoying themselves, I didn’t want to miss out,” she said.
Riddle said one of the most memorable parts of the evening for him was when USU head football coach Matt Wells and seven of the football players, including quarterback Chuckie Keeton, served pizza to the crowd. Afterwards, Wells spoke to those gathered and signed a few autographs.
Although this event was designed for sleeping on the Quad, Jessica Larsen, a sophomore studying graphic design, said there wasn’t much sleeping at all.
“I definitely wasn’t able to get very much sleep,” Larsen said. “I think I ended up falling asleep for what felt like 20 minutes before being woken up to get the wristband.”
Larsen risked performing well on an exam she had the next day because she spent the night with friends laying under a tarp as snow and rain came down most of the night.
“I have never done anything like that before,” she said. “It was really fun and I would do it again. I would just be more prepared next time and take a tent.”
The camp out was set up so students could receive a wristband that would get them into the stadium a half hour before anyone else to guarantee them a seat for the big game. Wristbands were given out around 4 a.m. on Friday.
A ringing bell signaled it was time for students to line up to receive their wristbands, and many scrambled to get as close to the front of the line as possible so they could get out of the cold. The line stretched from Luke’s Cafe in the Agriculture Science building across the Quad to Old Main.
Riddle said everyone who waited in line was able to receive a wristband.
“We had somewhere around 2,000 students show up,” Riddle said. “I was really happy with the student body. It was exciting to see that many students coming together as Aggies to have a good time and show off their school spirit. The University Police were also a great help in making sure that everything remained under control.”
Seth Illu, a junior studying exercise science and member of the Hurd, said securing a seat in Romney Stadium was well worth the camp out in the cold.
“It was worth it to to get into the game early and get a good seat,” Illu said. “The experience and the atmosphere of it all was great. I was just a little bit disappointed with the way the game turned out. I wonder what would have happened if Chuckie Keeton wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
Even though the Aggies lost the game Friday night, Petty said the experience was unlike anything else.
“I have done these camp outs before, and this one definitely had the most attendance,” Petty said. “Even though we ended up losing the game, I will continue to support the Aggies and have fun at outings like this. Everyone should come out and experience one of these events. Don’t make an excuse, just go out and have fun for one night; you won’t regret it.”
Riddle said USU football is on the rise and students need to help build the culture. He said he was pleased with how the fan community responded to the night.
“It was a little stressful just because of how many students ended up coming out, but we made it work,” Riddle said. “We just wanted to make it fun for everyone else and for the team. There was zero sleep to be had, but we survived. It was a success, and we learned from our
mistakes so we should have everything settled if there is another camp out this year.”