Campus Traditions—A Staple of Campus Life

Traditions unite our diverse community at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Get a glimpse of our traditions, annual events and other things we do together for a fun and meaningful student life.

  1. Life at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U
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  3. Campus Traditions
Homecoming picture

Annual Traditions for New Students

Make your first year of campus life memorable by embracing a few traditions we have at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.

  • Ring The Chapel Bell
    • Ring in your time at SU during Orientation and signal your future success! 
  • Sign Your Entering Class Banner
    • Write your name into SU history by signing your entering year banner. 
  • Hawks Up At Your Class Photo
    • Come and take your class photo! Don't forget to put your hawks up! (See how below!)  

Spiritual Traditions in Student Life

Participating in spiritual traditions is another way to connect as a Redhawk! Our Jesuit and Catholic roots make it easy to add to or continue in religious traditions in college. You don’t have to follow a specific belief system to be a Redhawk – we embrace all students as they are.

We empower you to connect with whatever spiritual traditions that have the most meaning to you. Learn more about connecting with your spiritual community at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U! 

Annual Campus Events & Traditions

Learn more about ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's annual events, traditions, history and other fun things we do to show we're a proud campus community.

Christmas tree lighting

Annual Events

Explore the full list of annual events unique to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U.

Signature Event: Winter Ball

Winter ballRun by the Student Events and Activities Council (SEAC), Winter Ball is a fun annual SU dance. This tradition has been hosted at locations like the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, Benaroya Hall and the Museum of History and Industry.

Why This Event Is Important: 

An event like Winter Ball is more than just fun. It is a time of stress-relieving and community building for students. Events like this create a sense of tradition, social interaction,  and positive memories for the student experience. . Moments like Winter Ball allow SU students to feel a part of their broader ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ community. 

Positive Comments from Students:  

“Winter Ball is one of SU’s biggest events and students get to have an evening filled with music, art, friends & memories. As a student myself, I always look forward to getting ready with my friends, checking out new exhibits, and dancing!” 

- Caitlin Haydon ‘24

 

 

Top 5 Annual Events

There’s always something happening on campus! Here are a few events we think you’ll love.

Homecoming

Homecoming is a week-long celebration of all things Redhawk! Whether it’s participating in the 5k, S’morescoming, or simply attending a football game, there are plenty of events for all to enjoy.

Smores

Quadstock

Quadstock is an all-day music festival in the spring and our biggest annual event of the year. Past performers include The Thermals, ok Go, Dev, Macklemore, Ivan & Alyosha and Saint Motel.

A group of people with their arms raised.

Christmas Tree Lighting

Get into the holiday spirit with our annual Christmas tree lighting! Gather on campus and enjoy the beauty of the season.

Rudy and the Christmas tree

RedhawkTHON

Dance to make a difference! RedhawkTHON is a student-led dance marathon event that benefits ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Children's Hospital's Uncompensated Care Fund and Cancer Immunotherapy Research.

Dance marathon

International Dinner

Experience the delicious food cultures of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U’s international students! Every winter, this highly anticipated event brings us together around a table to eat delicious food and enjoy splendid company.

International dinner - Student Dancing

Hear from our student Naho Umitani

Naho Umitani

Naho Umitani

“I love S’morescoming! It’s such a lovely time making S’mores with friends and getting to know new people”

Graduation Date: 2026

Mascot - Rudy

Our Mascot: Rudy the Redhawk

Rudy the Redhawk is the official ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ mascot. You can find Rudy at athletic games, hanging out in the Student Center or just walking to class. Not shy at all, Rudy loves to take photos w

Hawk Hands

Hawks UP!

We’re all Redhawks here. The “hawks up” is a great way to show your Redhawk spirit! Do this during free throws at basketball games, in photos with other students or during other special moments.   

How to do a Hawks UP!: 

  1. Hold your right hand up in front of your face, palm facing you. Hold it there.
  2. Take your left hand, palm facing you, and cross it in front of your right hand linking your thumbs.
  3. Hawks up!

The ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U Fight Song 

Let's give a cheer for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, Ol' ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U â€¨
Show them the fight of the Red and Whiteʉ۬
They will win for youʉ۬Fight, Fight, Fightʉ۬
Over the foes we're victorious and victory is our cheer 
So let's give a cheer 

For the whole gang is here 

To cheer you, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U! 

S-E-A-T-T-L-E FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT 

S-E-A-T-T-L-E FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT 

Over the foes we're victorious and victory is our cheer 

So let's give a cheer for the whole gang is here to cheer you, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ U. 
GO REDHAWKS! 

How We're How We're Different

$17k+

Number of Dollars Given Annually

During the RedhawkTHON

1,882

Number of students served

SEAC: 969 | RedZone: 678 | RedhawkTHON: 235

Get in Touch

We’re here to help. For information about student involvement at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, contact:

Center for Student Involvement

Group of people with Rudy