Burgers with the Brothers
During Welcome Weeks at the beginning of the fall semester, students and the Marianist Brothers get together to grill, catch up and play games in Rattler Yard.
Continuing the Heritage
The beginning of the fall semester is marked with a day for community engagement. Students, faculty, staff and alumni gather to participate in service projects with St. Mary’s University partner agencies.
Alma Mater
The Bells of St. Mary’s is used to mark important campus events, such as Baccalaureate Mass, Commencement and Homecoming Mass. Whether sung before a game at Bill Greehey Arena or at some other campus event, tradition calls us to point toward the Barrett Memorial Bell Tower during the final phrase.
The Bells of St. Mary’s
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Ah! Hear they are ringing
They sing out the bright hope
Of hearts firm and true.
And while they are ringing
Our young hearts are singing
The praises of, the glory of the
The Gold and Blue!
Christmas Tree Lighting
An annual event inviting students, faculty, staff, alumni and the West Side community to celebrate the holidays. The event is followed by the Alumni Association Christmas Social, with food, drinks and Santa.
Homecoming
This annual spring tradition includes the crowning of Homecoming royalty, a Homecoming Mass, the Homecoming Spirt Award Competition, the Golf Cart Parade and much more! Homecoming Weeks is topped off with Homecoming Oyster Bake (“Baby Bake”). This private event for alumni, students, faculty and staff includes the foods Fiesta Oyster Bake is known for — baked oysters, roasted corn and chicken-on-a-stick. The week also includes the annual Battle of the Bands, featuring students, faculty, staff and alumni bands competing for a spot to take the stage at Fiesta Oyster Bake.
40 Days of Lent and Service
St. Mary’s partners with Catholic Charities of San Antonio for this Lenten dedication to service. Various groups and organizations commit themselves to a variety of community-service events through the 40 days of Lent.
Family Weekend
Families of current St. Mary’s University students are invited for a weekend of fun, family, live music, athletics games, Mass, the 5K for the Neighborhood and more.
Fangs Out
The rallying cry fans used the show their Rattler pride.
Founders Day
The Aug. 25 celebration of the founding of the University in 1852.
Midnight Breakfast
A favorite among Rattlers, Midnight Breakfast is a biannual event to help fuel students for finals. Students are treated to a free breakfast-for-dinner and door prizes.
Muertos Fest
A Día de los Muertos celebration hosted by the Music Department.
Oyster Bake
The first Oyster Bake was held in 1916 along the banks of the San Antonio River in conjunction with the annual meeting of alumni, with a menu of beer and burlap bags of fresh oysters. The event was moved to Pecan Grove in the 1950s. Oyster Bake became an official Fiesta event in 1975, and the next year the Alumni Association started the Alumni Scholarship Endowment with $40,000. Fiesta Oyster Bake today attracts more than 70,000 patrons to the campus where they enjoy music on six stages and dozens of food items. The Alumni Scholarship Endowment now exceeds $8 million.
Rattler Madness
This pep rally kicks off Rattler Athletics with a tailgate party, games, performances, free food and prizes.
Rattlerpalooza and Rattlerfest
Annual music festivals coinciding with Family Weekend in the Fall and Fiesta Oyster Bake in the spring.
Rattler Man
This is the University mascot, whose identity is top secret. He attends many sporting events, Rattler rallies and other activities, but you’ll have to ask Rattler Man yourself who’s behind the mask.
Rattler Ring Ceremony
Students who have ordered their class rings and their families are invited to receive their rings during a special event. Rings are blessed and presented to students.
Spirit Thursday
On Thursdays, we wear school colors gold and blue to show our Rattler Pride.
3 O’Clock Prayer
This is a Marianist tradition encouraging the Marianist family to gather around the Bell Tower at 3 p.m. each day to reflect on Jesus’ passion, the role of Mary and the ongoing mission of the Church.
Welcome Weeks
The first two weeks of the academic year are filled with activities to welcome Rattlers back on campus, including an exotic petting zoo and Rattler Roundup, a biannual event encouraging new students to join student organizations, fraternities and sororities.
Zaragoza
This weekend-long, new-student event takes place before the start of the academic year. We welcome our first-year students and provide new Rattlers with a chance to meet each other and explore the campus.
StMU 5K for the Neighborhood
The 5K run/walk happens on campus each fall and benefits the University’s partnership with Holy Rosary Parish and the San Antonio West Side Community.
Graduation Traditions
Graduates begin their procession to Commencement outside of St. Louis Hall, before stepping across the St. Mary’s University Seal and exiting the iconic front doors to signal the end of their journey as an undergraduate. Students also walk under the Barrett Memorial Bell Tower, touching a second University Seal as the bells ring out across campus.
Learn More About Campus Traditions
Browse through the Campusology flipbook to see more of our campus traditions, learn about important spots around campus and more.