Gonzaga Day: Where Community, Spirit and Tradition Shine
If I asked you to choose one word to describe Gonzaga, I bet I can guess what you’d say. I know because when I asked dozens of students camping out the night before Gonzaga Day what they love most about being a Zag – they all said the same thing.
The community.
It’s a cliche, but at this point, it’s our cliche.
Gonzaga Day is the annual celebration of everything that makes Gonzaga, Gonzaga – our spirit, our passion, our unwavering dedication that leads us to camp outside in freezing temperatures just to support our basketball teams. It’s also a day to honor our dedication to Gonzaga’s mission – academic excellence, developing the whole person and service to the common good. In short – it’s a celebration of our community, which calls us to be leaders in the Inland Pacific Northwest, and beyond.
“I came here because I was excited about that close-knit community,” says Emma Logue (’25). “I went to a smaller school when I was younger, and then a big high school, and it was so nice coming back to such a tight community. And it’s nice to have events like these that celebrate that.”
“I like how small Gonzaga is, but how big it feels,” agrees Kayla Pierce (’25). “Everyone is eager to get involved and try something new. They’re even eager to camp out in the snow all night.”
Gonzaga Day began under President Thayne McCulloh’s leadership in 2013. Over the past 12 years, it has grown into a powerful display not only of the pride current students feel to attend the University, but of the connection our alumni network has and continues to foster year after year.
Several events ensured this year’s celebration stood out from years past, namely, the honoring of President McCulloh as he prepares to leave the University after a combined 34 years at Gonzaga, 16 as president. Thayne and Julie McCulloh, who is also set to step down from her position at GU at the end of the academic year, were honored during the women’s and men’s basketball games.
This year also featured 26 regional chapter watch parties, service initiatives across the country and, of course, everyone decked out in Zag gear. A select few alumni made the trip back to campus to celebrate something they started four decades ago – something that has more than withstood the test of time. The original members of the Kennel Club joined the Spokane Alumni and Friends chapter in visiting students camping out for the game, passing out burritos and t-shirts, and even signing a few autographs.
“It’s spectacular,” says Sean Hogan (’84), a founding member. “It’s amazing to see the growth of the university. As an alum, I’m incredibly proud.”
If you look up synonyms for “community,” you’ll find there really isn’t one that quite encompasses what it means to be a Zag. So, for now, we embrace what we are.
“We are a community,” Blake Riviera (’25) says. “Whether it’s in the classroom, or sports or anything else, it feels like everyone here is on the same team.” And when I asked all these students if they feel proud to be on Team Gonzaga, the answer was big smiles, laughter and a resounding, “Oh, 100 percent!”
Once a Zag, always a Zag.