New York has Times Square, California has Hollywood Boulevard and at Linfield, we have Streak Street. On Friday nights during football season, Lever Street, an otherwise calm residential road, shuts down to transform into a booming celebration of school spirit. A longstanding tradition that brings students, family and the city of McMinnville together for a Saturday afternoon of activities, tailgating and most importantly, a football game.
As the season kicks off, so does one of Linfield’s most favorite traditions. From fun games to vendors and activities offered on Streak Street, families as well as students get to experience the liveliness Streak Street brings to campus during game day. Many students take part in the exciting activities that line Lever Street during gameday, whether that be running a booth or simply showing up with school spirit.
On Sept. 6, one of the exciting activities that took place during the first home game of the season was the 50-50 Jackpot, held by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where the total money raised is split between the winner and the organization.
“All of the money raised goes towards the athletic department,” junior exercise science major Eboni Zehner said.
Zehner is the SAAC social media manager as well as a member of the track and field team.
The total amount of money raised by the 50-50 Jackpot on Saturday was close to $3,000. The winning ticket resulted in a total of $1,355.
“It’s fun to help out and collect money for our school,” undeclared freshman Jayden Donald, who was selling raffle tickets during the game, said.
Other activities included an inflatable basketball game and cornhole. Also present were numerous food trucks as well as a sitting area provided by Golden Valley Brewery. It was a common theme throughout the crowd that some live music would add some extra flare to the pregame festivities.
The iconic Streak Street gets its name from Linfield’s football’s 68-season winning streak, the longest consecutive streak in college football history. As families and students entered the Catdome, there were tables set up selling the “Game-time” pamphlets that overview the team, its history and show their roster. Since Linfield holds such an important record, school pride is rampant through the community.
“From the tailgating that starts hours before the game, to the friendly competitions and vendors that line the street, there’s something for everyone,” Steve Knott, father of sophomore tight end Kole Knott, said. “Our son’s freshman year was our first year tailgating at Linfield. We found ourselves amongst the senior parents and they welcomed us in as if we had been there all along. This seems to be the same attitude all around campus.”.
That friendly attitude is duly noted around all aspects of Linfield, especially on home game weekends.
As the game ends and the last food truck order is served, Lever Street is emptied out and returned to its normal look for the school week ahead. But the tradition will return for the next home game, bringing family, alumni, faculty and students together on a small stretch of road once more for the continuation of the streak.
