By Morgan Stolpa, CSU PR Intern

Creating memories on-campus is a vital part of the college experience.

At Minnesota State Mankato there’s an activity or event for everyone. Whether you’re a new student or alumni, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people, create memories and be a part of some memorable Minnesota State Mankato traditions. Sustaining and building upon those student-focused traditions rests with Brandon Weideman,2018-19 spirit and traditions chair on the Student Events Team.

“We need traditions because they reinforce values and give students a sense of history and what came before them. They also provide students with something exciting they can look forward to year after year,” said Weideman.

You may not have realized you’ve been a part of a tradition on Minnesota State Mankato’s campus, but if you’ve ever attended a homecoming football game, participated in the Maverick Day of Service, watched a movie at Stomper’s Cinema or attended a number of events and activities on-campus, you have been.

“We are using these traditions to pass on the history and spirit of this university through the generations. So that when a graduate from 2018 talks to a graduate from 1988, they can both relate and talk about the same things they did in college and the fun they had because the traditions created a commonality between them and this wonderful University,” said Weideman.

As with many traditions, the more things change – the more they stay the same. Current student may put a modern twist on time-tested event. Still, the memories remain basically the same between current students and alumni. It’s a bond that is shared and passed along as part of the Minnesota State Mankato college experience.

“We maintain the energy around building a tradition by continuing to do it year after year, improving it and getting feedback, and then cementing the tradition in place,” said Weideman.

Throughout the year, there are so many traditional events and activities on-campus that the university has created a bucket list of activities students MUST attend. If you’re interested in being a part of history go to: https://mankato.mnsu.edu/current-students/university-traditions/.