Students braved snow and below-freezing temperatures to watch the Irish battle the Brigham Young University Cougars on Saturday in the last home football game of the season.
Senior Laura Stangler said her last student game-day experience was very bittersweet.
"The cold was a bummer, but it was worth it," she said. "I was glad it was snowing and not raining. I know a lot of people who didn't go to the game or didn't stay for the entire game. ... But it was definitely a lot of fun, and the marshmallow fight was really cool."
The traditional senior marshmallow fight occurred during halftime, Stangler said. Most of the marshmallows stayed in the stands, but a few fell on the field.
"There were a bunch of guys who were trying to test their strength of arm by throwing marshmallows as far as they could," Stangler said. "And then there were people who got in trouble with the ushers for throwing them at the ushers. It was really fun, though."
Stangler said she appreciated the special seniors-only traditions after the game, as well.
"The entire stadium was cleared out, except for the senior section," she said. "We got to watch the band, and then we were allowed to go on the field. It's a cool tradition, and it's something I'm really grateful for."
Emotions in the senior section were "all over the place," Stangler said.
"There were a lot of people who were just in disbelief that it was our last game," she said. "The four years really flew by, ... but most people were excited."
Senior Patrick Schmitz said he felt the game was a great bonding experience for the senior class.
"I didn't really watch the game very much," he said. "But I made friends with the people standing behind me, and we were swapping marshmallows because we had different brands."
Because it was their last game as students, Schmitz said he and his friends tried to participate in as many game-day traditions as possible.
"We woke up early to go to a friend's house and then out to tailgates and stopped by concession stands," he said. "After the game, we went to candlelight dinner in the dining hall."
Freshman KayleeCorrea said Brigham Young fans did not have a noticeable presence on campus.
"I was working a concession stand and I didn't see many of them before the game," she said. "Even at the game, their fan section seemed really small."
Watching the seniors' marshmallow fight was enjoyable, Correa said.
"I thought once they started it they would run out, but then it started up again," she said. "I thought it was really cool, but I didn't really understand what the point was."
Correa said the snow and cold greatly affected her game-day experience.
"The girls' bathroom was really crowded the entire game because it was warm in there," she said. "I'm glad that I stayed, though, so now I can say that I experienced an entire football game in the snow. That's an accomplishment for me."
Contact Catherine Owers at cowers@nd.edu.
