"In the middle of Huntington, West Virginia there's a river. Next to this river there is a steel mill. And next to the steel mill there is a school…” - We Are Marshall
Huntington, West Virginia is a unique college town unlike any other. Only the students and alumni who have been a part of The Herd understand what it’s like to belong to the Marshall community. Here’s the top 10 ways you know you’ve made it to Marshall:
1. Your vision is flooded with Kelly Green.
As soon as you reach Huntington, green. Everywhere you look, green. Every sign, green. Every piece of decor, green. You can’t escape the green, and it’s awesome.
2. Any time someone adorns a Marshall jersey, it’s not for that player, its for The 75.
The 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team’s plane crashed when they were just entering Huntington. Everyone on the plane died. Every game played here at Marshall is to honor those 75 players and fans lost. There is a memorial and 6 graves for some of the unidentifiable players in a nearby Huntington cemetery. No one explains this better than Coach Jack Lengyel in We Are Marshall. “For those of you who may not know, this is the final resting place for six members of the 1970 Thundering Herd. The plane crash that took their lives was so severe, so absolute, that their bodies were unable to be identified. So they were buried here. Together. Six players. Six teammates. Six Sons of Marshall. This is our past, gentlemen. This is where we have been. This is how we got here. This is who we are. Today, I want to talk about our opponent this afternoon. They're bigger, faster, stronger, more experienced and on paper, they're just better. And they know it too. But I want to tell you something that they don't know. They don't know your heart. I do. I've seen it. You have shown it to me. You have shown this coaching staff, your teammates. You have shown yourselves just exactly who you are in here.”
3. If you don’t go to Cookout or Jim’s at least once a week, you don’t go to Marshall.
Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti has been staple of Huntington ever since 1938. It’s family owned and operated; to this day, the waitresses still wear the attire of that in the 30’s. Not only is a spaghetti AWESOME, but students also get a FREE piece of pie. To college students’ favorite word is free.
Cookout is probably the best place to go for late night snacks, craving, or just meals. They have the BEST milkshakes, and you can never go wrong with getting a Cookout tray. If you don’t know what that is, it’s in you best interest to look it up, because you’re missing out.
4. You have to drive circles just to reach a destination across the street.
There’s one-way streets EVERYWHERE. You literally drive in squares and take about 10 minutes to get to your destination when it should only take you 3 minutes.
5. There’s over 13,000 students on campus, but it only takes 7 minutes to walk from one end of campus to the other.
The distance between the Commons dormitories and Smith Hall is the furthest distance between any two building on campus. Every day I get up and walk to my classes in Smith and it takes me seven minutes, and that’s at a normal pace. You can wait until the last possible moment to get to class and still be able to stroll in with good time.
6. That’s not an artichoke in the middle of campus, its an awesome memorial fountain.
“…In the middle of the school, there is a fountain. Each year on the exact same day, at the exact same hour, the water to this fountain is turned off. And in this moment once every year, through out the town, through out the school, time stands still.”- We Are Marshall Each rod stand for a life lost in the plane crash. Each year at the Fountain Ceremony there are speakers, white roses, moments of silence. Time does not pass on that day.
7. There’s more squirrels than students on campus.
The squirrels of Marshall are notorious. They are rambunctious and fearless. It does not matter that you could step on them and kill them instantly; they do. not. care. They run towards you, steal food, and scavenger in the trashcans. At night when you are walking around in the dark sometimes you'll hear rustling in the bushes, and you about pee your pants until you remember all the squirrels.
8. You can experience all 4 seasons in one day.
Appalachia is a mountainous region which causes crazy weather changes. You can leave your dorm in the morning and need to wear 5 layers, then go to lunch and wear short sleeves and be comfortable, then go to dinner and need a light jacket, then all of a sudden it’s snowing.
9. When you ask someone where they’re from, they reply with what county they live in instead of what town.
Being from out of state, this was beyond weird for me. Instead of people saying they’re from so and so town, they say their from Wayne County or Boone County, etc. Personally, I have no idea where each county is, so saying which county you’re from only confuses my non-West Virginian brain.
10. Above all, everyone has immense pride and ALWAYS has a Herd On.
There is not a single college town or community with the bond Huntington has. No other school has had a plane crash and lost so many members of the community and school. There is great pride in being “One Of The Herd”, and we truly embody the statement “From the Ashes We Rose”. Although saying you have a Herd On is a quirky and funny statement, the pride everyone carries around each say is not a laughing matter. To quote We Are Marshall again, "Marshall lost more games in the seventies than any other program in the nation. But yet... football remained. In 1984, the 'Herd' had their first winning record in twenty years. They followed it with eight conference titles, five straight bowl wins, and two national championships. From the ashes we rose…" Each and every one of us is a Son and Daughter of Marshall.
WE ARE! MARSHALL!
