Top 10 Gonzaga Stories of 2023

Gonzaga College Hall in winter

January 05, 2024
Marketing & Communications

Everyone loves a Top 10 list to close out the year, right? Well, here's ours: The ten most-viewed stories on gonzaga.edu in 2023, based on our website analytics. 


10 Gonzaga Dances with Derek Hough

Emmy award-winner Derek Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" visits Spokane with his father Bruce Hough to share their creation, “Lessons in Leadership From the Art of Dance,” at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center. 

9 Hello New Faculty Members

Gonzaga kicks off the 2023-24 academic year with a warm welcome to 58 new faculty members, who each bring unique experience and expertise to campus.


8 Life of Spike

A behind the scenes the look at the evolution of Gonzaga's iconic mascot Spike the Bulldog.


7 First-Year Admission Writing Prompts and Requirements

The admissions team shares essay tips with prospective Zags ahead of the application window.


6 Why Hire Zags

Five diverse companies share why they value and hire Gonzaga graduates.


5 How Rasir Bolton Captured a Community’s Heart

Local nonprofit leader Rick Clark shares the story of his close friendship with Gonzaga basketball player Rasir Bolton


4 Top 100

The U.S. News & World Report recognizes Gonzaga as one of America’s top 100 national universities for the fifth year in a row. 

3 Embracing the Future with Canvas LMS

Gonzaga transitions its learning management system (LMS) to Canvas, a platform which offers more user-friendly tools and robust faulty-student support. 


2 Let Me Enfold Thee: An Essay on Basketball

Professor and former professional basketball player Shann Ray Ferch weaves together narratives from his lifelong love of hoops.


1 Drew Timme Owes Me an Apology

Local actor Mark Robbins, aka "the guy in all those commercials with Drew Timme," claims the star basketball player owes him an apology -- and readers want to know why! A sensation on social media, this piece claims the most views of any story in 2023.

Perennial Favorites

Many of our most-viewed stories are older pieces, which people continue to find through search engines like Google. Here's the five most popular stories published before 2023:

5 Rui Hachimura Learns English

This story surged in views after Rui Hachimura, a former star on the Gonzaga basketball team, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The piece profiles the Japanese forward as he visits to Gonzaga's English Language Center, an institution which has helped him and thousands of other international students embrace their new home in Spokane.


4 The Story of Gonzaga's Namesake

Originally published in 2018 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of St. Aloysius Gonzaga's birth, this piece offers a window into the remarkable life and lasting influence of the Patron Saint of Youth. 

3 Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Joan Iva C. Fawcett, the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, Community, & Equity (DICE) at Gonzaga, reflects on the importance of recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) contributions to this country. 


2 Zags Dot NBA and WNBA Rosters

A look at all the players past and present who made it to basketball's biggest stage.


1 Hey Google, Where's Gonzaga?

Folks are still asking: Where's Gonzaga? This story, first published in 2019, continues answer people's Google searches the world over.

Like these stories? There's plenty more where they came from.