The bleachers were packed shoulder to shoulder in Holekamp Gym. Students cheered at the top of their lungs as the women’s basketball players scored point after point. Even as tickets sold out, spectators stood outside the gym, watching through the windows just to get a look at the game.
At our small liberal arts university, sports games are not the main component of campus life. I hear from my high school friends how Ohio State home football games are cherished like Christmas, with the majority of students showing up to games. I remember being afraid to apply to Duke University upon learning students camp out in tents for up to six weeks to secure tickets for the Duke vs. UNC men’s basketball game. Krzyzewskiville, the nickname for the Duke tent city students create, is significant enough to have its own Wikipedia page.
If you told me prior to this year that our women’s basketball team would have a dedicated student fan base, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Leading up to March, the women’s basketball team was on many students’ radars. Mary Schleusner, ’26, had already shattered numerous records, and students who weren’t already up to date with the stats saw them through countless reposted Instagram stories.
The Generals made it to the Division III NCAA Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals. Washington and Lee hosted several rounds of the competition, and the crowd was packed with student support.
The team’s success led to surprising camaraderie among students. It was inspiring to see the campus unite because of the women’s basketball team’s impressive run. Many of my conversations during the first two weeks of March included comments like “Are you going to the game tomorrow?” and “What are the chances our school can really win this thing?” Most of my friends are not involved in varsity teams on campus (including myself), so this recurring topic was refreshing to discuss.
When the team lost for the first time this season on March 14 against Denison University, students still felt proud of what had been accomplished. However, the overall team spirit faded by the following week and campus returned to normal.
If students can come together to support one team, it would be amazing if we could continue that engagement and apply it to other groups.
For example, the music department hosts many student ensemble and senior music major performances toward the end of each term and a slew of other arts events at Lenfest each month. The Outing Club frequently offers trips to get outside and explore Virginia. Other sports teams have exciting games during their seasons and succeed in Old Dominion Athletic Conference competitions and individual achievements.
There are also standalone campus events, such as presentations from guest speakers and capstone or thesis projects from upperclassmen. The Campus Notices emails that appear in students’ inboxes each morning at 8:02 a.m. list various events happening on campus over the following two weeks.
Supporting more of these events, even if they aren’t on topics you’re familiar with or are outside your comfort zone, can make our university more connected and foster school spirit. It is worthwhile to support campus events as a student, as you likely won’t have this wide a range of events available after college. Students should continue engaging in campus events so that the energy and excitement from the women’s basketball team’s historic run become the norm rather than an outlier.
