There is something magnificent about University of Oregon camaraderie. The generosity from alumni to current students is admirable beyond words. It’s cliché, but the truth of the matter is that we, in one way or another, have been influenced and shaped by the students in Allen before us. Whether we knew them as seniors when we were sophomores or they are 20 years out from school, we owe a lot to fellow ducks. And yet they are the ones who constantly shower us with love.

There are two recent observations I’d like to point out about this amazing phenomenon. First, not even in the last 24 hours have I ran into 3 UO SOJC graduates on the streets. The most notable was after breakfast when my roommates and myself were trying to find our way to W+K, all aimlessly trying to get google maps to work, when a nice gentleman came up to see if we needed directions. We told him we were figuring it out and thanked him for his time. Only when he was walking away did we see he was wearing an Oregon drawstring backpack. We all yelled the classic “Sco Ducks!” his way. He quickly turned back around and basically bounded our way. So happy to meet other UO people, Scott (as he introduced himself) asked us about why we were in New York. It turns out he worked for W+K and Droga5 for years before now moving to Skillshare. He seemed to genuinely be interested in our answers and took time out of his day to check in. He held a real conversation with a group of strangers and cheered us on merely because he knew what we came from and that’s awesome.

The second one was the incredible time/effort/love Connor, Jamie, Brandon (an honorary duck) + team put into today’s Wieden + Kennedy visit. The enthusiasm, the welcoming, and the fun all showed their investment in this whole community. My heart welled watching my friends interact in a space that felt like an extension of home. One of the great posters in the W+K today said “Find people that make you better.” If alumni (and my current classmates) always display that grace and kindness and empathy, sticking around a few Ducks will make me better.

Emma Pindell, 5.8.2017