By Brooke Brinker, Social Media Manager
It is so exciting to create new traditions, but it may feel intimidating starting college with no idea of what the best events are or what traditions to attend every year. Here is your guide to the traditions you should not miss at Saint Leo University from a senior.
First day of school
On the first day of class, by the Student Community Center (SCC) boardrooms, upstairs above the dining hall, you can get your first day of school picture taken. The best part is that there are dogs that they bring to relieve students’ anxiety! You can pet and play with them! It is such a great tradition to be a part of and something to look forward to every school year.
Fall festivities
Fall is always so highly anticipated. Fall is many students’ favorite time of the year at Saint Leo. It is when most events happen and when most traditions begin.
One of the most popular traditions of the school year is the Fall Family Festival that occurs every October. There are hayrides, games, music, treats, food trucks, rides, and so much more. It feels like you are in a fall movie! It is family day, so you can bring all your loved ones for a fun fall day. It is a special day where family, friends, and the Saint Leo community get together for a fantastic day. You don’t want to miss it!
It is always fun to start your own traditions as well, with the new friends you make. For example, painting pumpkins, attending the Dade City Fall Festival, watching your favorite fall movie with friends, and trying new fall coffees on a specific day every week before class. You can make so many traditions that help Saint Leo feel more like home.
Dr. Chris Ortiz, assistant vice president of Student Engagement & Leadership said, “My advice is simple: Say yes early and say yes often. The event you almost skipped is usually the one where you meet your best friend.”
Service Day
Every November and April, class is cancelled for a day so all students and staff can participate in Service Day. Service Day is a day where all Saint Leo community cleans campus, and the community around it. It often includes cleaning the greenhouse, gardening, polishing the statues, food packaging, and going to different businesses and helping them organize and clean. It is a day to show Saint Leo love, and all get together as a community to help make our campus better!
Christmas
Christmas at Saint Leo is magical! Every December, one of the best traditions is MoonlightBreakfast. It is an event where students wait outside in a line outside of the dining hall, playing games and trying to be the first ones in the door for the delicious food inside. There are Chick-fil-A sandwiches, iced coffee, pizza, and desserts. It is a night that takes students’ minds off finalsstress. It is a Saint Leo favorite that you can’t miss. You will have core memories every year from this event!
Christmas Festival is like a little piece of the North pole on campus! There are yummy treats, hot cocoa, different vendors, crafts, free Chick-fil-A, and photo spots. It is so much fun and is a tradition you can attend with your friends every December.
Every Christmas season, create your own traditions that mean a lot to you. Christmas is a family holiday, so it is normal to feel homesick. But traditions truly do help homesickness go away. You can decorate cookies, go to Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) Christmas events, dorm events, Bible studies on the birth of Jesus, try the new Christmas drinks at Starbucks, etc.
“Traditions give us a shared story. As a Benedictine community, belonging isn’t an afterthought here. It’s the foundation,” Ortiz said. “When students stand shoulder to shoulder at the same events, cheer for the same teams, and celebrate the same milestones, they stop being strangers and start becoming family.”
Creating new traditions is not only fun but will help you love Saint Leo even more. Attend the Saint Leo traditions and make your own! This is your home away from home, and from a senior to a freshman: traditions have been the best part of Saint Leo.
