I have always wanted to explore the city of La Grande. Whenever in the area, I have frequented spots, becoming staples of the La Grande trips. Often going out to familiar places to eat, which I truly enjoy. Spending down time at the home of our host and playing the golf tournaments at the golf course of Buffalo Peak. I have probably been to La Grande seven or eight times, to this point. Each for golf tournaments, played in the scramble format. Most of the trips have been void of spending any kind of time on my own. Part of that had to do with a lack of familiarity with the city. La Grande isn’t large, but it has taken me some time, learning to comfortably getting around the town. In the past, I was comfortable being told where to go, without paying any mind to directions. The last two trips have changed my thinking on the subject. Having me spend more time committing the roads to memory. I have taken the Sunday of each of the last two trip to break away from the group. Trying to spend some time, doing my own thing, around the town. My first break away day came during a trip, just this past June. That day didn’t amount to much exploration. Much of that Sunday was spent in the hotel room, trying to get some writing accomplished. During this most recent trip in early September, my Sunday of doing my own thing, yielded better results. A high school, college, and hospital, to name a few.
My interest in colleges has been happening as long as I can remember. They are fascinating to explore, with each having its own characteristic. Some colleges have huge sprawling campuses, while others can feel small and intimate. Universities can be found in the middle of some of our biggest cities. Others, nestle themselves into the fabric of a small community. I would guess there are many factors going into how a student might choose their institution of higher education. For me, the draw of going to school in a small town, always felt appealing. Though, I didn’t want to wind up too far from a larger city. Which was a factor in my choice of attending Oregon State University. There was something else for me to think about when looking at a college. I wanted to factor in my challenges of cerebral palsy, which meant being intrigued by somewhere small. A college and town that felt easy to maneuver around. Without the crowds and commotion found with universities in bigger cities. I was from the suburbs of a major city and figured there would be time for living in a city. La Grande fits much of my picture of a good college town. The area is pretty flat, with farmland dominating the landscape, when driving out from the city. The town is home to Eastern Oregon University, which I had been longing to explore with each of my La Grande trips but hadn’t found the courage. On this trip in September, with a Sunday on my own, I was determined to find the campus.
The sign for Eastern Oregon University hangs along the main road of La Grande. Throughout my years of going to the golf tournaments, I have noticed the green sign. Pointing in the opposite direction of where most of my time has been spent. I had no idea what La Grande looked like down those roads. Even on Sunday morning, after dropping off my buddy at the house, I didn’t know if the energy was in me, to go exploring. I found myself driving back into town and making my way to the coffee stand for a cup. Gathering my iced mocha, I felt an adventurous mood strike. It was time for me to go looking for the campus I had always wanted to find. Departing from the coffee stand, I headed back toward one of the main streets in town. The sign for Eastern Oregon University was ahead. Guiding me into a left hand turn off the road. Leading me in a direction of town I had never ventured. The roads reminded me of streets you might find in a neighborhood. The asphalt bordered by trees and short driveways. I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way, because I didn’t end up at the college. The first large structure I ran into was the hospital. Perched up on a hill, the hospital campus looked impressive. Not just for the small town I was in, but for any city. Finding the hospital of La Grande wasn’t my target, so I kept my eyes wondering. Just below the hospital looked to be a couple schools. Prompting me to circle the streets. A middle school was easy to spot and just around the corner, I ran into the high school.
Finding the La Grande high school, which happens to be the home of the Tigers, wasn’t my objective, either. However, it did pique my interest, as our host has two kids attending the high school. Being that it was a Sunday afternoon, everything was empty. I parked in a small lot next to the football field and opened my car door. Like the previous day on the golf course, the heat was up, but felt good. I walked through an open gate and down onto the football field. The surface was natural grass, which isn’t found much on the western side of Washington. I walked out to the middle of the field, trying to take in the space. The hospital stood tall, not far from where I was standing. Just off in the distance, foothills climbed up toward the sky, seemingly everywhere I looked. Walking back across the grass field, I was ready to continue my search for the college. Thinking the campus had to be somewhere nearby. My plan was to leave the high school parking lot and try traveling parallel to the main street of town. Even though I had to be a few miles from La Grande. Driving back toward the front of the high school. I crossed in front of the home of the Tigers, and took a left hand turn away from the hospital, sitting at the base of the foothill. It didn’t take long before I could see open spaces that looked like a college campus. Pulling into a nearby parking lot, the signs indicated permit parking for Eastern Oregon University. All the spaces were open and unrestricted on the Sunday afternoon.
Getting out of my car, I saw a substantial white building. Which would be the only building I would enter along my self guided tour. It was the memorial union building on the campus. Once I peeked around inside the interestingly shaped MU, my campus tour began. Like any college campus, there were open spaces of grass and trees. With sidewalks running in all directions and bunches to sit and rest. The campus buildings, housing the lectures halls of higher educations, appeared like many I have seen in my life. Of the time, I spent walking around EOU, the campus felt comfortable. It didn’t feel large, but didn’t give me the feeling of being small, either. The ground wasn’t completely flat, something I notice anytime I’m walking. As walking in hilly environments can be challenging with my disability. Something I could have better considered when looking at colleges for myself. Along those lines, Eastern Oregon felt like it would have been a good place for my college experience. The hills on campus were gradually sloping, causing little trouble in navigating. Although, much of the campus was on level ground. After spending time walking through the central areas of campus, I spotted the sports complex, out in the distance. As a fan of most sports, I’m always curious about the facilities at any school. I started walking toward the fields of Eastern Oregon University.
The initial indication, directing me towards the sporting complex was the tennis courts. I passed by them first, as I walked along the sidewalk of a parking lot. In the distance, the grandstand for the football stadium could be seen. I continued my walk in the direction of that grandstand. It was Sunday afternoon. Leaving me to wonder how much of the facility I could see. Most college stadiums I have walked next to have gates that tend to be locked, when a game isn’t happening. As I moved closer to the football stadium I was surprised with the image. The gate was swung completely open, allowing me to walk inside the football stadium. I have rarely experienced the inside of an athletic facility when empty. Excited for the opportunity I walked past the gate and toward the grandstand, which was just ahead. There were some cool features about the Eastern Oregon football stadium. Which looked like the size of a large high school football stadium. Similar in size to the facility where my high school played football. As I walked up to the grandstand of metal bench seats, I didn’t climb a set of stairs. Instead, a concrete walkway led up to the landing of the stadium seating. A cool feature, making it easier for me, with cerebral palsy, to reach the seats. I climbed the stairs to the top and stood just under the press box. Looking out across the football field was a neat experience. As I stood there, turning to my left, images of the campus could be seen, while rotating back to my right provided a view of one of the many foothills that can be seen around La Grande. The place struck me as a unique setting for football.
What an awesome opportunity. Finally gaining the courage to venture out in the town of La Grande. Finding my way to the campus of Eastern Oregon University. Which, I have wanted to check out since my first golf trip to La Grande. Walking around the campus didn’t disappoint. Trying to look at the school through the lens of my disability. Wondering about the impact of my cerebral palsy in relation to moving around the campus. I felt like it would have been a positive place to attend college. The relatively flat campus would have made it easy to navigate. Along with the small setting, the possibility of becoming overwhelmed would have been minimal. The small town of La Grande would have also played a role in providing a calm setting to attend college. I can’t speak to their resources for students with disabilities, as I haven’t investigated Eastern Oregon in any depth. I was just impressed with the ease of navigating the school. Another cool feature of the football stadium was Eastern isn’t the only team calling the stadium home. As I walked through the natural grass of the football field at the high school. I assumed; their football home games were played on that field. Come to find out that La Grande high school plays football in the same stadium as the Eastern Oregon University football team. A pretty cool experience for the La Grande high school football players. To play their games in a college facility.
A Journey With Cerebral Palsy 