My OSU Football Story ~ Vida Bonita

In light of all of the craziness surrounding OSU’s Football program, I thought I might share my story with you.

Back in Fall 2005 I transferred from Rogers State University to Oklahoma State University. I essentially had a full scholarship to RSU so for a middle income kid like me it made sense to knock out some of my gen ed requirements on the cheap for my freshman year. I knew when I was a junior in high school and won state for an FCCLA competition held at OSU that one day I would be a student. I was totally in awe of the beauty of the campus and I just had a great feeling about all of it. I felt like it would be my home. I had no idea how grossly I had underestimated my future experience. To this day I would be willing to have a larger student loan debt to have had one more year at OSU. All things work out for a reason and they say timing is everything so I suppose I should just have faith that it all turned out like it was supposed to.

I was assigned to the honors dorm. Every stereo type you can come up with about the residents of an honors dorm is absolutely true. There were video games a plenty. I’m actually glad that I don’t have a picture of my room because looking back it’s a little embarrassing. My roommate told me about the bed spread she bought and I bought the same one. I had the room decorated so cute, but more so if you were 14 instead of 19. I quickly abandoned that décor but I realize now that I was a little overzealous. I don’t know if Tisha M. reads my blog but I will always remember her for this. She was hanging out in my room and I asked her “So…. Do students like… actually buy tickets to the football games? Is that a thing? Would you say it’s worth the money? I pay my own bursar so I just don’t know…” I’ll never forget the look on her face. After a dumbfounded pause she replied “Yes.”

I had NO CLUE college football was a thing. I had heard people argue about OU vs. OSU and I never got what the big fuss was all about. I’m a first generation college student and I spent much more of my childhood in rodeo arenas than I ever did at sports complexes. So… yeah, I was a little oblivious. Forget about tailgating. I mean, I knew what a tailgate was, but I took the whole thing a little too literally. I can thank the Durant family for helping me realize what fun fellowship before games could be like.

I can also thank Meredith for her patience in teaching me what on earth 1^st down and 10 meant (you mean, they could literally, at least potentially have 40 downs in a single play??? Now wonder this game is so long). She also taught me to wave the wheat. Gosh I had so much fun with Abbey at games. She taught me to clap for Martel Van Zant, the deaf football player by waving both of your hands in the air. That one still makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

Fast forward to 2007. This is the year we (my sorority- ADPi) did Homecoming with the Delts. The World’s Largest Homecoming. I didn’t want to do Homecoming with the Delts that year because we had decided to do it with them the previous year and they backed out and did it with Zeta and I always thought that was shady. I hold grudges so I didn’t want to give them another chance. Well once again, and fate would have it, I never knew how much that decision would change the rest of my life. The story of how Matt and I met is for another blog post (I actually like to tell more personal stories like these ya know, in person) but what I can tell you is that the series of events leads me to be continually grateful.

So… Shanna… what does this have to do with football? Well it was Homecoming for football so I am technically staying on track. A week or so after homecoming was over I got a text on my cool flip phone from Matt (that I later learned took him 30 minutes to perfect). He asked if I wanted to sit with his family at the upcoming football game. I knew that they had club seats. My first thought was I’m not worthy! I thought of Matt’s friend Scott and how I knew he deserved to sit in those nice seats so much more than I did. Sorry Scott, I took him up on the offer. Thanks for taking one for the team =).

Our First Football Game.

This is waving the wheat.

I met Matt’s parents that day and I’ll never forget his dad introducing me to their shih-tzu, Pete, as Matt’s little brother. Oh my, they’re those kind of people. Dog people. Dog people who name their dog after the team’s mascot. Fast forward to 2010, we got a shih-tzu and named him Pistol. He lights up my life.

Since that day I have sat in the same seat for 32 games and have developed so many fun memories. I have yelled and cheered and laughed. I have invested in relationships, such as my husband, my in-laws, the great people we sit by, and our friends. We all come together at game time. Come fall we are called home to Stillwater. Our engagement party was even a tailgate.

This whole ordeal with Sports Illustrated is frustrating, concerning, and disheartening. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the sources of information, and the things to come in future publications this week. I told Matt last night before the first publication that I hope that the allegations aren’t true, but if they are, we deserve what is coming to us. Cheating isn’t right and I don’t support it. I just can’t imagine a world where OSU is a bunch of true, low-down cheaters. I don’t want to win if cheating is what is required. And why the heck would they cheat? Don’t we have the most advanced facilities in the nation? Have we spared any expense? I mean, it seems to me that a pay check is the only thing that our athletes don’t get. We’re from Stillwater, land of truly good people. We’re better than that. Or at least I hope so.

But the thing is, no matter what comes out about our sports program, it doesn’t change our institution. Football is an integral part of the college experience, but it is a far cry from the only experience. No matter what, Stillwater will still be a great place. It will still be my alma mater and no matter what university I attend, from RSU, to OSU, to Veritas to Texas Tech, I will always sing: “Proud and Immortal, Loyal and True.”