Campus Traditions

For over a decade, the Asian Student Alliance’s eXpressions has highlighted the artistic talent in the Asian Pacific American community, especially when the Asian Pacific American community has always been stereotyped as only being talented as doctors, lawyers, or engineers. The event also showcases talent from diverse backgrounds to uphold the value of inclusive excellence within the University of Denver community.

A long-standing campus tradition that has grown from year to year. Crimson & Gold Awards celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our DU Community, recognizing outstanding Students, Staff, Faculty, and Student Organizations on campus.

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration originating in central Mexico but is recognized throughout Latin America and among various Latinx communities in the US. Dia de Los Muertos participants celebrate the lives of their passed loved ones without grief or mourning. An important part of the celebration is the set up of altares de muertos or altars with ofrendas or offerings, which are used to welcome the spirits along to celebrate as a marker for navigating back home to their living loved ones.

When most people think of Denver, they think of snow! So we celebrate the first snow with an accumulation of 1” or more on campus with our “First Snow” tradition of pop-up give-aways, hot cocoa and playing in the snow!

We celebrate our Graduate Students with a week full of events just for them at the start of Spring Quarter including paint nights, professional headshots, social hours and more!

A tradition that began in 2001, students camp out on campus to win free Hockey Tickets to the DU home games. It’s much more than just a campout though, with lawn games, music, free food and more!

As we welcome our amazing alumni back to campus, we celebrate our extended DU Community with traditions like the Crimson Classic 5K, Campus-Wide Capture the Flag, Sundaes on Wednesday and of course cheering on the Hockey Team!

The DU Programming Board (DUPB)’s week-long Spring Tradition featuring fun events in the beautiful Colorado Sunshine. Typically the week culminates in the MusicFest Concert featuring student bands and an up-and-coming headliner.

This annual event is hosted by the Cultural Center to commemorate the anniversary of the national march for lesbian and gay rights in Washington in 1987.

Leadership is for everyone, and everyone has lessons and wisdom to share. What will you share? What could you learn? The PEAK Leadership Experience is a day-long, immersive, co-curricular leadership event focused on Professional, Experiential, Academic, and Knowledge-Based leadership learning.

For 19 years Profiles of Excellence has been a campus tradition that marks a momentous occasion as it commemorates the journey of students of color from student to alum.

One of DU’s newest traditions, Senior Brunch is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate graduating students in early June, before official Commencement celebrations kick off.

The Brothers of the Unstoppable Upsilon Gamma Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta present Taste of Latin America each year in October to celebrate Latino Heritage Month and the beautiful rich cultures of Latin America that are represented at DU!

A tradition that is over 60 years old, DU Programming Board (DUPB)’s Winter Carnival is a week of festivities that begin on campus and culminate in a weekend “On Mountain” to celebrate everything the winter season in Colorado has to offer.

After a long winter break, we’re excited to welcome students back to campus with Winter Welcome Week, affectionately known as “WiWeWee” - a week filled with fun events to welcome students back to DU and to kick off a new quarter.