Thursday game alters travel plans

For decades, the Weekender has been a highlight of the USC football season, as students travel to Northern California to watch the Trojans take on the University of California, Berkeley or Stanford.

This year, however, the Weekender lost some attendees because the game against Cal is on a Thursday instead of the traditional Saturday. As a result, some students chose not to attend the Weekender because of Thursday and Friday classes.

Julia Kirchhofer, a sophomore majoring in history, said she would have headed up North if she didn’t have a test.

“I’m a huge football fan and I’ve been looking forward to the Weekender since the summer, but it lands on a Thursday and I’ve got a midterm,” Kirchhofer said. “It’s really unfortunate.”

Jon Vidar, an adjunct instructor of journalism, said he was holding a midterm for his photojournalism class today, despite the Weekender.

“I am a USC alum and I’ve [been] on the Weekender and really enjoyed it,” Vidar said. “But school should come first.”

Devon Graves, a senior majoring in philosophy, said he was looking forward to attending the Weekender for his first time, but cannot miss school for the game.

“It’s more of a ‘mid-weeker’ than a weekender,” Graves said. “I’ve never been to the Weekender and I was really looking forward to going this year because it’s my last year at USC. But, as much as I want to, I just can’t afford to miss class this week.”

Some students feel the Weekender is a valuable tradition that should be maintained, even if that means pulling all-nighters to write papers and cram for midterms.

Brittany Valiza, a senior majoring in communication, is flying to San Francisco just for the game and plans to return Friday morning.

“It’s a nice break to step away from academics and do something fun, but I do have midterms next week to study for,” Valiza said.

Kelly Austin, a junior majoring in communication, is excited to attend her first Weekender after transferring to USC, despite having to write two papers in advance.

“I’m so ready to finally see what the Weekender is all about,” Austin said. “I’m not going to let schoolwork stop me.”

Austin and her friends are taking a different approach and left Wednesday with plans to return Sunday, stretching the trip as far as they can.

“It’s not just about the game,” Austin said. “It’s about the social experience and having a blast. I’m sure I’ll be seeing the game, but probably in a bar; I don’t have a ticket.”

Regardless of whether students attend the Weekender for social reasons, the game or a combination of the two, finding a place to stay has been a challenge for many students because of a Nike Convention in Downtown San Francisco.

This year’s game against Cal will be played at AT&T Park because of renovations to Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. AT&T Park is closer to Downtown San Francisco than Berkeley, making it more difficult for students to find hotel rooms than in previous years.

“Forget the hotels,” Austin said. “We’re staying at a friend’s place in Berkeley and saving a boatload of money too.”