Honoring Celia

We’re falling into a good cadence for getting out of town and to the bus with a bit of time to spare before settling in for the evening. And we’re getting OK about leaving in time to still have some fun before these 11 a.m. games. I’m just obsessed with L’s little silhouette in his car seat before he and Monkey head out Friday evening.

Once again, we were not admitted to our reserved parking lot due to wet weather, so we opted to pay $40 to park in the student lot—where my aunt and uncle held down a spot next to their RV. It was good to be with family for the tailgate! (I’m not sure which the kids liked more: the bus or the RV! They spent the tailgate bouncing back and forth between the two.)

This weekend and game was emotionally packed as earlier in the week an Iowa State Women’s Golf Team member, Celia Barquin Arozamena, was killed in an early-morning attack at Coldwater Golf course. Many activities were planned throughout the week to honor her life, including a call to wear yellow (her favorite color), a moment of silence and more as part of Saturday’s game.

It was amazing to see so much yellow in the stadium that day.

Ellie also got to cheer at halftime as part of the Spirit Day Clinic. She loved every minute!

As fellow Cyclones came together to honor Celia, it really drove home what an amazing community surrounds Iowa State. We learned how to be adults there and formed new connections and support groups that we still lean on today. We learned how we would contribute our time and talents to make our impact on the world. We became part of this place and this community. Despite the sadness that surrounded this horrible crime, it was heartwarming to see everyone come together, as Cyclones. ?