Traditions are a large part of a Gustavus experience, from traying down Old Main Hill to taking pictures at the Gustavus Entrance sign to eating Frost Your Owns. The traditions we have adapted over the years are something that a majority of the campus population can participate in. However, there are also new traditions developing that have been created by different groups of current students to reconnect with friends. Here is a glimpse at a few traditions that students have started.

Junior Andrew Paul

With busy schedules during the fall and spring semesters, Paul and his friends have their traditions during January Term, when there is more time to spare.

“We eat breakfast at 9:45 a.m. every morning together. There is an A Team table and B Team table. If you get there before 9:45, you sit at the A table. If you are late, you sit at the B Team.”

Senior Maddie Kalthoff

“Freshmen year, after discovering that some of our closest friends have never been camping, we decided to go on a camping trip that summer. The first year we went we were out on a lake in Paynesville where we fished with Barbie fishing poles, played Presidents and Scum card game all night long, and truth or dare. It was one of the goofiest and funniest trips ever so we knew it had to be an annual tradition. Every year [we camp] at a new place but every year is as fun as the last, filled with eating, a whole lot of laughing, and card games.”

Senior Max Stelzner

“We normally try to have a group of friends go to the hockey games and it has turned into wearing costumes such as me as mustard and [Senior] Nate McNab as a banana.”

Juniors Nick Wolff, Neil Engler, Danny Kimlinger, Joe Breen, Cody Christensen, Andy Gladitsch, and Derek Schmitz

This group has also carried the annual Fantasy Football competition as a tradition with their friends.

“Getting to watch the games on Sunday and smack talking is my favorite part of the playing fantasy football with the boys,” Kimlinger said.

“My favorite part is getting really excited starting with a couple of wins. Unfortunately, that usually doesn’t last,” Christensen said.

The competition requires structure and that’s where Commissioner Joe Breen comes in.

“Collecting money and making sure everyone is on the same track is the most difficult part of being the commissioner of the league,” Breen said.

Luckily, there aren’t many hard feelings amongst the participants because the boys play every year, and there are things to improve upon in the next season.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully beating Ronne and winning the championship in the next Fantasy season,” Gladitsch said.

“I’m looking forward to not drafting a Jacksonville Jaguars player,” Schmitz said.

Sophomore Gabe Grosshuesch

“Well, almost everyday we try to eat dinner at 5:30 p.m. so we always get to see each other at least once during the day. It’s a great time for us to get caught up and just have fun.  Some other traditions [that we started] during last J-Term and [continued to] this one is that some friends and I have a weekly Disney day where we watch Disney movies in order to destress our lives and just bring out our inner child.”

Senior Joe Thayer

“We go to the American Legion on Thursdays for dinner. They have $2 burgers and $1 fries.”

Junior Sarah Schuetz

“My group of girlfriends started a tradition this past year of doing ‘highs and lows’ every Sunday night. We get together in someone’s room, one of us usually brings treats of course, and we talk about our highlights of the week and things we struggled with that week. It has created some awesome conversations and also gives us a little insight into each other’s lives. It is a great way to start a new week as well, I always leave feeling rejuvenated and very loved by my best friends.”

-Erika Clifton