On the morning of Jan. 19, members of the Loyola Marymount University community showed their Lion Pride at the new annual event LMU Day. Thanks to the work of passionate students, the day was devoted to promoting school spirit for LMU athletics among fans.
Alumni Mall was a vision of red and blue as the live DJ played in the backdrop. There was no shortage of food trucks, tailgate games and giveaways as students and staff alike rallied in preparation for the Men’s Basketball game before showing their support in the stands, watching the team take on their rivals the Pepperdine Waves.
Director of spirit Aoife Tejada, student organizer and BCLA Senator Jessica Saucedo and SMU senator for athletics Taylor Pajunen all played a key role in making the day a reality. Together, the three students were able to transform the idea of “Homecoming” for athletics into a celebration expected to live on on for years to come.
“It can be hard to find times where athletes, service organizations, fraternity and sorority members all come together, but I think LMU Day cultivated this.”
Tejada says LMU Day was developed with a clear and important purpose. “We wanted a signature event that was from LMU, for LMU, about LMU,” Tejada notes. But making this dream a reality took months of hard work and dedication. “Starting a new event is always extremely hard,” says Saucedo.
“We started working on this event the week before school,” says Tejada. “I spent all my free time emailing different organizations and meeting with people who we thought would be interested in partnering on this event.” Some of these groups included LMU’s student booster club The Cage, the Resident Hall Association, and the Lion’s Den Coffee Shop.
Taylor Pajunen says her own experience as an athlete on Women’s Swim Team inspired her to get involved with re-vamping the whole culture surrounding athletics on-campus. “I think that sports can be that glue, a binding force that brings together a diverse array of students that I and LMU values so deeply.”
Pajunen, along with others who had a hand in creating LMU Day 2019, hopes that the tradition will live on for years to come. “All of the hard work that we put in this year cannot cease once the day is over. The work hasn’t ended. Now, we are thinking about how we can make the day better and how we can help new lions continue LMU Day in the future.”