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3 Unusual LSU Tailgating Traditions

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The big, the new, the sentimental and the just-plain-fun traditions of tailgating keep the college football season pumping with a culture all its own, and LSU is well known for its adoring fans and tailgating culture. Together, LSU tailgaters have built a community of energetic, fun and loving people who will do the craziest things to show their Tiger pride.

We spoke with three super fans to find out more about how they make LSU’s exciting tailgating culture all their own.

An Out-of-This-World Costume

887480_1228995753780677_6122323325150620480_oEven in a sea of purple and gold, it’s not that hard to spot Jake Roblez — or the “LSU astronaut,” as he likes to call himself. Roblez is an LSU student, studying mechanical engineering and minoring in aerospace engineering. He says his astronaut outfit was born when a friend decided to wear a fancy LSU bathrobe to a game. Roblez couldn’t let his friend one-up him, so he started his hunt for a wacky gameday outfit. He had an astronaut costume that he used as the president of the aerospace club, and with a little painter’s tape and spray paint, the purple-and-gold astronaut was born. Roblez has sported the outfit at several LSU football games, including on the road, and has made appearances at baseball and basketball games.

Bridging Years and Generations

While gamedays are a great chance to kick back with family and friends, they are also great for reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. And that’s exactly what Hannah Plauche, a 1993 graduate of the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, wanted to do with her high-school alumni. She started an LSMSA tailgate at LSU in 2014, with about 50 alums attending with their families to reconnect and have some tailgate fun.

Last year, the LSMSA Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter took over, adding a jambalaya cook-off and more than 70 alums from the classes of 1985 to 2015. Jamie Smith, class of 1988 and LSMSA Alumni Association president, says he hopes the tailgate can help build a community between generations by sharing a common bond of LSU tailgating and past LSMSA experiences.

The Beauty of Simplicity

A great tailgating party doesn’t always require a lot of people. Kristen Wesson, a 2016 LSU graduate, says she has a simple routine with her friends on gamedays: She wakes up and cooks breakfast or brunch for her friends, then they all head to campus together.

One friend has a parking pass for the Union Square parking garage, and they use it to park on the rooftop. They start their day there, just taking in the awesome view of LSU’s campus, Wesson says. Then, they head on down to join in the fray.

It may be a simple tradition, but sometimes those can be just as memorable and meaningful as the big ones.

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