By: Danielle Meikle
For the past few weeks, students have been noticing chalk-drawn notes on the ground all over campus that read “A Day for Saint Leo” and wondered just what those messages meant. On Nov. 11, burning questions were answered when the Saint Leo Alumni Association, along with the Office of Student Activities put on a special day of celebrations called “A Day for Saint Leo.”
This day-long celebration of school spirit started in the morning with a photo booth. Students were encouraged to dress up in goofy hats, chains, glasses, etc. to take selfies which they were asked to share on social media with the hashtag #mySaintLeo. There were also giveaways of green and gold beads and T-shirts at select times during the day. Tasty funnel cakes and carnival rides were available on the SAB Green throughout the day.
Students, faculty, parents, staff, and alumni were all invited to show their school spirit throughout the day by wearing green and gold and by giving generous donations. The goal was to raise the most money in a single day for the university’s development. According to the Saint Leo Alumni’s Instagram page, over $100,000 was raised.
This main carnival-style event ran from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the SCC Bowl. Tickets for this event went on sale on the Saint Leo ticket website the week before and were free for students. The tickets allowed each person one meal from their food truck of choice and a chance to participate in all the fun activities. There were great options available ranging from tacos to hamburgers, and even an expresso bar. The long lines of grinning patrons that stretched from each truck and back to the games spoke to how excited students were to enjoy the evening’s festivities.
Vanessa Reid, a sophomore marketing major, said, “The food was amazing! I had the tacos, and I never wanted it to end. I think this was a great way to spend my Friday evening- great food and great friends.”
The night was made even better with a spectacular ten-minute firework show that wowed all present.
“That was so unexpected, but it was a great addition to this night. I know everyone enjoyed that,” said Andrea Thompson, a parent of a Saint Leo student.
The successful event ended with the crowning of the 2016 – 2017 SLU King and Queen. Nominations of Saint Leo graduating seniors were submitted in the week before. All the nominees wore a green sash marked “SLU Court” leading up the event. The award was given to the Saint Leo graduating senior that students felt have impacted the campus and best exemplified SLU’s Core Values. Congratulations to this year’s King, Cedric Blatch, and Queen, Sydney Early.
