The fall quarter is well underway, and students have been settling into the 25-26 school year, but the new beginning couldn’t be left uncelebrated. Last week, campus was abuzz with activity Nov. 3-9, Seattle University’s annual Homecoming and Family Weekend, where student, family and sporting events came together to revel in the Redhawk experience.

Of the many events held during the week and weekend, a few are campus traditions that have been  Homecoming week staples for upwards of 10 years, including S’morescoming, Drag Bingo and a Seattle U’s Men’s Basketball team home game. 

The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) is primarily responsible for coordinating various events throughout the week, with the assistance of the Seattle U Students’ Events and Activities Council (SEAC).

S’morescoming marked the start of Homecoming, with around 200 student attendees gathering in the quad Monday evening to roast marshmallows over an open fire. Sweet tooths were satisfied as students walked back to their dorms with sweaters smelling of smoke. 

“S’morescoming is always the Monday kick off to the week. [It creates] that space for students to go out, make some s’mores, kind of socialize, and be more of a low-entry kind of event for them, but still feel like some school spirit,” Peter Vandeventer, the assistant director of involvement at CSI, said.

Jesse Hill, a second-year mechanical engineering student, enjoyed his stop at S’morescoming and the tasty treat he got out of it.

“I saw [S’morescoming] on the big poster in the Student Center. I saw the whole week’s schedule and then honestly, I think I might have even smelled the campfire cookin’,” Hill said, later adding, “I cooked mine pretty well and then I put a Reese’s cup on mine for my chocolate selection.”

The day following, Totes and Tots was held at the Hawks Nest Bistro and was attended by approximately 100 students—small potatoes compared to the number of tater tots available at the ‘tot bar,’ where students could dress their tater tots with options ranging from garlic and chipotle aiolis to pico de gallo. Once students had seasoned their tots to perfection, they could dress up tote bags too.

Then on Wednesday afternoon, Redhawks who ventured to the Library plaza could participate in a particularly colorful experience—tie-dying shirts while braving the stormy and wet conditions. However, the more anticipated event of the day was Drag Bingo, held in the Campion Ballroom.

Drag Bingo was started 10 years ago by CSI and was an immediate hit, pairing extravagant and charismatic drag queens with an audience-engaging, classic game of bingo. Vandeventer provided insight into why Drag Bingo has established itself as a Seattle U Homecoming staple.

“[Drag Bingo] was one that hit the ground running. It felt like the energy and the value of bringing a drag queen to campus during a time of Homecoming was something that we saw as really valuable and helped many of our students feel a sense of belonging,” Vandeventer said.

Students attending Drag Bingo were welcomed into the Campion Ballroom with rainbow streamers and bright LED lights on the stage. At the tables, they were met with various decorations, including feathers and beads, as a nod to the event’s Carnaval theme, and fans that students could wave throughout the night. The tables closest to the stage were packed with students excited to play.

This year’s drag queen, returning for her second consecutive year, was none other than Heidi N Closet. She won the vote for the fan-favorite title of Miss Congeniality of Season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a reality TV show competition where drag queens compete for the title of ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar.’ Drag Bingo attracted approximately 225 attendees.

The week was capped off with Family Weekend, where students’ families were invited to attend the men’s basketball game versus Cal Poly Saturday, Nov. 9. Despite the game ending in a loss, the weekend continued with Family Bingo after the game. 

In the midst of all the events, the Student Government at Seattle U (SGSU) hosted a banner competition, giving clubs the opportunity to create banners for cash prizes that they can reinvest into their clubs.  First place got $500, second place got $250 and third place got $100, with the winners being announced at the basketball game. This year, MECHA took first place, and Redhawkthon and Hui O Nani Hawai’i Club came in second and third, respectively.

Juan David, a second-year mechanical engineering major and the finance chair for MECHA, described MECHA’s win as a highlight, especially in comparison to Seattle U’s loss at home to Cal Poly. He shared plans on how their prize money might go to use.

“We’ll probably use it to help build up our big event that we do every spring quarter, called Celebracíon,” David said.

According to Vandeventer, Homecoming week last year was interrupted by the presidential election, which dampened campus spirit and led to a decline in student attendance. This year, he is happy that Homecoming week event attendance is trending upward and that CSI is reaching more students.

“We love to engage with the students that are at our events, but we also want to try to open that up to more students so that the majority of the student body is feeling like this is a celebratory week for them,” Vandeventer said.

Homecoming Week is sure to return with full force next year, bringing a mix of familiar traditions and new events in 2026.