LIFE

Rural students have a 'blast' in Corvallis

Statesman Journal
Oregon State women's basketball player Kat Tudor signs programs for Silver Falls School District students following the Beavers Beyond the Classroom game Wednesday, Dec. 13. Special to the Statesman Journal | Megan Lierman

Boarding a bus and heading from their rural school-house to the big university was an eagerly anticipated foray for many school kids across the state on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

That’s not surprising.

What may be surprising is the hosts at Oregon State University appeared equally enthusiastic.

The annual Beavers Beyond the Classroom unfolded with thousands of K-12 students pouring in from all corners of the state – including nearby Cascade foothills – to visit the university and take in a specially scheduled 11 a.m. women’s basketball game vs. Savannah State.

Oregon State women’s basketball coach Scott Rueck expressed his excitement for the event during an on-air news interview just minutes after his team defeated San Jose State a few days earlier.

“It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” Rueck said. “It’s highly inspirational. I’ve been a public school teacher, and I’m still working in a public school. Here we have over 6,000 school kids who get to watch their role models play — and that’s going to change their lives.”

Reports from the foothills seemed to coincide with that.

Victor Point teachers enjoy the Beavers Beyond the Classroom event with the same fervor as their students.

“My 5th grade class had a blast yesterday, including some autograph time with a very kind and gracious (OSU senior center) Marie Gülich,” Victor Point teacher Cindy Ziesemer shared.

“After the game, Marie Gülich came right up through the band section and started visiting with students and signing autographs,” Ziesemer said. “I thanked her on behalf of our school, saying that on our own we could never pull off an experience like this. She smiled, leaned in and said, ‘Actually, this is our favorite game of the year.’”

That surprised Ziesemer. She said Gülich told her there was nothing like coming out of the chute and seeing all the kids dancing and singing in the rafters.

That youthful energy is buoyed by numbers. This marked the sixth Beavers Beyond the Classroom game, each drawing large crowds; attendance in 2015 was 7,824, while last season's crowd was crimped by inclement weather but still tallied 5,168.

Wednesday’s topped both, drawing 8,280.

A year ago Scotts Mills Elementary was among those snowed out of the experience. This year the school was happy to add its contingent to the energetic mix.

“It’s a great opportunity to have our students visit a college campus and experience the excitement of a college-level basketball game,” Scotts Mills Elementary School Principal Kristin Jorgenson said. “The OSU staff does a great job of making it very student friendly with the music played and activities during the timeouts and halftime. 

“It’s also really fun for staff to enjoy such a fun event with students — cheering, dancing, and enjoying the fun.”

Oregon State women's basketball player Madison Washington visits with Silver Falls School District students following the Beavers Beyond the Classroom game Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Ziesemer was among the staff element having a “blast” on the day. And she kept her ears tuned into her students to gauge their experiences.

Ziesemer shared a number of her students’ thoughts she overheard, including:

“That was the best first college basketball game I’ve ever seen!”

“It was the best basketball game ever! They even came up and signed our posters…That made our day!”

“We’ll never forget this day.”

Rueck shared the sentiment.

Later in the day the OSU coach tweeted: “A huge THANK YOU to everyone who worked hard to make today possible! Today was so fun and the 3rd largest crowd in program history!”

jmuch@StatesmanJournal.com or cell 503-508-8157 or follow at twitter.com/justinmuch

Students from the Silver Falls School District enjoy Beavers Beyond the Classroom during Oregon State women vs. Savannah State basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 13. Special to the Statesman Journal | Megan Lierman

 

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