10/29/2026
The giant sequoias of the Memorial Union Quad celebrate their 100th birthday this year. 🥳 Centenarians they may be, but in tree years that isn’t even all that old — giant sequoias can live for more than 3,000 years.
The three trees clustered in the quad across from the MU’s front steps tower 130 to 140 feet above the lawn. Students know the sheltered space between their lowest branches as a quiet spot in the middle of one of campus’s busiest places. But the trees have also inspired years of rumors about a legendary few who’ve climbed the massive trunks to look out over campus below.
For “Among the Trees,” we set out to learn whether those rumors were true and ended up uncovering a much bigger story about Oregon State’s campus trees and the memories that generations of students have made around them.
Read the story in the Fall 2026 Oregon Stater at the link in bio. And let us know about your favorite campus tree in the comments below!🌲
Photo by: Brian Horne
