It’s finals week for many Oregon college students, including those at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. To relieve the stress, the Associated Students of EOU have a tradition — the “Car Smash.”

One day every June, a table of free T-shirts, cookies, stickers and other EOU paraphernalia appears in the central quad. That’s also where students can grab a sledgehammer or baseball bat and wail on a couple of windowless but otherwise intact cars.

“It’s our fifth year,” said senior and ASEOU Senate Chair, Megan Scharf. “Every year during the week before finals week, we bring two cars onto the campus that are completely donated and students get to come and take out any stress they might have on the cars right before finals. All they have to do is sign a waiver, put on some PPE and have some fun!”

For three hours, stressed-out students inflict their anxieties in a smash fest that transforms the defenseless sedans into something straight out of a demolition derby.

Picking up a bat, Scharf is happy to get the party started.

“It’s tradition for me to break in the cars. I’m gonna get the taillights on this one.” And with a zinging blow, Scharf takes out the plastic lenses on a Toyota Corolla.

It doesn’t take long for more anxiety-ridden, sleep-deprived students to swarm the scene. Some even set up lawn chairs to watch alumni, from petite to linebacker and everyone in between, do their worst.

One athletic freshman lands blow after blow on a drab, 1990s-era domestic sedan, finally exhausting himself in the effort.

“I knew I had to get here during the first hour because I have a class the second hour. In the third hour they look way worse than they do now,” he said, making an educated guess about when to get his licks in. “Yeah, this was fun!”

Even Eastern Oregon University President Kelly Ryan gets into the act.

“I’m not a rage-filled person. I’m more of a joy person, so it’s not impressive,” Ryan explained.

“Do you want a sledgehammer or baseball bat?” asked Scharf.

“Neither is going to make a dent with my massive strength,” Ryan quipped before choosing a sledgehammer. And after landing a few blows, a fragment of headlight fell off.

“I broke something!” Ryan exclaimed, jumping up and down in glee as onlookers applauded her.

While cars are smashed in the spring at EOU, something else gets damaged at the start of the school year.

“We actually have one other smashing event that we do during the year. It’s a pumpkin smash in the fall,” explained Scharf. “It’s a lot easier, and a little less humbling because putting a dent in a car is hard work.”

“I prefer the pumpkin smashing myself,” added Ryan, stripping off her goggles. “But I like to give [the car smash] a try every year.”

By the end of the three hours, the cars have been pummeled into almost unrecognizable hulks, dangling hoods, doors and bumpers. As the remnants were hauled away to the junk yard, one smiling student let out a satisfied sigh.

“I really needed that, especially with finals coming up. That was really enjoyable.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/10/eastern-oregon-university-car-smash-tradition/