By Elijah Alvarado, Sports Editor
Pregame tailgates are a popular sports tradition where fans gather with friends to eat and socialize before the game. Many even prefer tailgating before the actual game, so imagine a campus tailgate followed by a handful of sporting events all happening in one day.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, Saint Leo University Athletics hosted the first-ever Lions Bash, which took place on campus in the parking lot of the Marion Bowman Activities from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm. This event was open to all athletes, general students, faculty, staff, and the general public.
Lions Bash included free food, carnival games, music, as well as performances from university spirit teams such as the cheer squad and the Saint Leo University Gold Rush team. The campus atmosphere was electric from the very beginning to the closing of the event.
Everyone could be seen interacting with each other while having a conversation over lunch, playing carnival games together, and more. Saint Leo Community as a whole plans every event with a goal in mind of making every moment fun and a time for the community to come together.
“This event itself is meant to create an atmosphere of fun, [and]excitement about Saint Leo, about the university, about our athletic teams and what we have to offer,” said Marcal Lazenby, Vice President of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation on campus.
When becoming a part of Saint Leo, either as a student or a staff/faculty member, it’s not just joining another institution, but a continuously growing community.
“I think it’s a huge event not just for the athletic department, but for the university. I want everyone to feel involved and be a part of Lions Bash for years to come,” said Lazenby.
Lions Bash was also another opportunity for Saint Leo to showcase school spirit and spread it to everyone in attendance. It also showcased what it is like to come together as a community and have a memorable day.
“I’m so happy to see so many faces,” said Julianna Nash, a sophomore majoring in Nursing and a member of the Gold Rush.
Lions Bash was followed by several sporting events taking place on campus, including “Senior Day” basketball games for the Women’s and Men’s basketball teams, adding to the fun-filled day and drawing large crowds throughout the day.
Since this was the first-ever Lions Bash, just like many other events, expectations and standards were set at a high level.
“The turnout was about what I expected for the first year. We had approximately 823 people in attendance, which is a strong start for a brand-new event,” said Lazenby.
Seeing a strong result in the attendance for the first-year sets standards for what’s to come in the coming years.
“Lions Bash is designed to bring together current students, prospective students, alumni, and community members, so seeing that level of engagement from those groups was encouraging,” said Lazenby
Leading up to the event, those who were in attendance, including those who were a part of the event, were left with uncertainty about what the day would entail despite what was advertised.
“Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. All they told me was to show up at 10:45, be here dressed with your team. I’m very pleasantly surprised,” said Molly Chappell, a junior majoring in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, an outside hitter and defensive specialist for the Women’s Volleyball team.
Now that Lions Bash year one is in the books, many details indicate this event could return next year, and those in attendance have made it clear that events like this are what they want to see more of.
“I think it should become a tradition for Saint Leo. If you see the people that are out here today, it’s a great turnout for our first year, and I think it’s bringing a lot of the community together at one time,” said Sabrina Valentin, a junior Biomedical Sciences major with a minor in Chemistry, outside hitter, and defensive specialist.
