In the aftermath of Homecoming and Family Weekend, a celebration at St. Edward’s where current students, alumni and friends gather at the Hilltop, what are some reflections that organizers and attendees have about the event?

Student Activities was the organization that regulated the Homecoming Weekend and all the events that it entailed, which included the Homecoming Bash, the tailgate and more.

The turn out for Homecoming this year was fairly similar to last year, according to Homecoming Director Abbie O’Neill. 

“This year, we allowed smaller groups to participate in the Topper Cup so the people competing could be seen more,” O’Neill said.

According to Student Activities, there were a total of 250 students who participated in the events during the week this year. Throughout the week and weekend, there were close to 500 individual students that attended all of the events.

Everyone involved in Student Activities had a goal this year to make everyone feel welcomed at Homecoming, and the students definitely noticed the changes. This year Homecoming added new activities such as the ice rink, Paint and Game Night, and Trivia Night which were loved by the many people who attended those events. 

Christopher Ayala, who was crowned Homecoming King at this year’s Homecoming Bash, talked about his participation in this year’s Homecoming, and what made this year memorable.

“For Homecoming this year, I like the fact that I finally participated and immersed myself in all the traditions that come with it. I’d never really participated in previous years, other than attending Casino Night. Competing with a team in the Topper Cup and getting nominated for court just made my St. Ed’s experience come full circle as I went through my last semester of college,” Ayala said.

Ayala said he’d never experienced many of the events of Homecoming Weekend.

“To have a chance to experience all these ‘last-firsts,’ and to have all these moments with my closest friends was one of the best experiences I could’ve asked for on the Hilltop,” Ayala said.

Emily Oakes, a freshman at St. Edward’s University, spent her first homecoming at St. Edward’s attending events like the lacrosse game and the tailgate.

“Both events were super fun. My parents attended the tailgate with me and they were excited to meet some of my professors. I really enjoyed the photo booths, free food, and music,” Oakes said. “The lacrosse game was the first one I’ve attended so far and I loved it. There were also a ton of people who brought their dogs and I had a nice time getting to know their owners. My dad ended up bringing our dogs to campus to enjoy family weekend as well. I will definitely participate next year.”

To make sure that future Homecoming celebrations are the greatest they can be, Student Activities sent out a survey for students and attendees to fill out so they could provide feedback on what they liked and what needs to be improved.

Since this Homecoming has come and gone, O’Neill discussed the next move to start planning for next year’s Homecoming. She stated they plan to take what they learn from the surveys and create on making focus groups soon.

“It’s super important that the students and other attendees are as involved in the beginning process. It’s their Homecoming, and we want them to have as much fun as possible,” O’Neill said.

The surveys that Student Activities created are still open for students to fill out. As soon as the surveys close, Students Activities will work until next year to ensure that Homecoming will be amazing.