Gustavus Traditions

Part of picking a college is being able to see yourself there, living day-to-day. And, part of what makes a college a home are the community traditions. In addition to our annual signature events, here is what some Gusties have done to make Gustavus their home:

Painting the Rock:

In front of Old Main sits a very colorful rock. Sometimes it gets painted more than once a day: announcing a birthday, advertising a campus event, promoting a student organization, congratulating graduates... Some people think the 4-foot by 4-foot rock was originally a pebble.

Cheering for the Home Team:

Gustavus sports events are very well-attended (especially since we win a lot). There's lots of gold and black paint on students in the front row at men's basketball games. The muffled, but enthusiastic sound of mittens clapping spurs on women's hockey players. And, Gus (the life-sized plush lion) leads the cheers at many games, meets and matches.

Lighting a Candle:

Inside the Chapel—which never closes—is a candelabra where anyone can light a candle and spend a quiet moment watching the flame. A Swedish poem titled Light for Others is posted nearby: "Make a gift and light a candle. / Pray a short prayer, if you can, for / someone you love, or someone who needs / to see God's light in his life."

Culinary Adventures:

From pizza on a Friday night to go with the show students are watching, to make-your-own Belgian waffles for "breakfast" at noon on Saturday, to sandwich wraps of every variety (now available with chipotle mayo) for weekday lunch, to the ever-popular chicken strips anytime, the Gustavus cafeteria (a.k.a. Market Place) is the place to eat on campus.

Studying (Sleeping) in the Library:

Sometimes sleeping or studying in one's dorm room is hard to do, so students head to the library. There's enough space for half the student body to be at a private study carrel at one time. And, if one of the 280,000 books in the library makes a student sleepy, they can take a nap—at least until the security guard wakes them up and tells them the library closed an hour ago...

The Three Seasons:

Since most students go "home" for the summer, Gusties get to experience only three seasons on campus. They go to Seven Mile park to walk the trails and grill some hamburgers, they tray down the hill in the winter (another Gustavus verb meaning "sliding down a hill using a caf tray"), and celebrate spring with some post-class tanning or football tossing.

Now, here's a quick list. For an explanation of these activities, you'll have to come here!

• Random Gustie Rousers
• Stargazing on top of Olin
• Playing tennis in the Bubble
• Fire drills in the middle of the night
• Searching for names in the Weekly
• Taking Social Dance with your special friend
• Waking up at 5 a.m. to see St. Lucia
• Pictures with your roommates at the Gustavus sign
• Eating s'mores at the fire pit
• Hearing yourself at the echo circle on Eckman Mall
• Spinning BCAD to determine first test grade
• Be served chicken wings by the faculty before finals at Midnight Express
• Playing Madden with your Little Partner