FTFO
One of my favorite parts of going to USC was football. There was nothing like waking up at some ungodly hour to throw on that cardinal and gold with your song girl skirt and bumping whatever was the biggest song that season with all of your best friends.
I was worried gamedays as an alum wouldn’t stand up to those as a student. While the pace (and lewks) is a little different, I’ve still had so much fun cheering on our Trojans. Whether this means on a Saturday afternoon at Mayes eating wings or shotgunning after work in the Levi’s Stadium parking lot, gamedays as an alum had provided a difference in fun.
This year’s weekender (this year’s was at Stanford) rolled around so quickly, and a trip down south to Austin followed the weekend after. Each were so different but great chances to see and catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while (and collectively express deep disappointment in our team this year).
For the weekender (after many toils and troubles), 40 of us (see above) loaded up on a party bus (also see above) from SF to Palo Alto for tailgates and bars. I still think every single one of us is still amazed that we were able to pull this off pretty seamlessly. I (obviously) took over the music situation to provide for a lituation as everyone head banged, passed around veggie straws and took pulls from Kirkland handles.
After roaming around Stanford at tailgates, we relocated to the Old Pro. Much to my disappointment, they took out their mechanical bull. We ended up heading back to the city before the game was over, but some of my fondest memories of that day will be from a few of us causing a ruckus in a park while waiting for an Uber.
Texas really did me in when I went to Dallas for the USC and Alabama game in 2016, so I expected nothing less from Austin this year. I hadn’t been to Austin since I was a kid to visit some family we have there, and it was nothing like I remembered. This is probably due to the fact that I’m over 21 and now have to fend for myself. Austin has a bunch of cute neighborhoods with great restaurants and super fun bars.
This gameday started late, and had a bunch more movement. We stopped into a couple different bars, which was super great because we got to meet up with different friends. We stumbled over to the stadium as Joanna and I debated who was “more Texas” (obviously, me). I was glad I got to see what football is like at UT as the stadium was covered in a sea of burnt orange. We left before the third quarter was over to hit the bars, but I’m glad we got to go.
Some of my fondest memories of being in school are from gamedays, as I’m sure anyone else who went to USC would say, too. I cherish these moments and the friends I’ve shared them with. I’m so lucky to have gone to a school with such intense school spirit that carries years and years past graduation. As the Saturday’s at Mayes start to line up, I look forward to more wins, chicken wings and drunken stumbles down Polk. FTFO!!!
