Sheltering from damp autumn weather, students and faculty huddled inside to enjoy roasted marshmallows and kick off a week of school spirit.
The “President Stokes’ S’mores Roast,” hosted by University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes, at the Student Union Building on Monday, Oct. 13, served as the kickoff of UNM’s Homecoming Week. Stokes said that of the Homecoming events, the s’mores roast is among her favorites. Its placement at the beginning of the festivities allows it to bring awareness to other events, she said.
“I just hope (students) have a good time. I’ve already discovered a couple students who didn’t know it was Homecoming Week,” Stokes said. “This is the 100th anniversary of homecoming at the University, so we’re looking for ways to ramp up participation in traditions like homecoming.”
Stokes said that events like the s’mores roast and other social gatherings tend to be what people remember most vividly and fondly about their UNM experience, whether they graduated five or fifty years ago.
“Traditions are what keep people connected to each other. They’re shared experiences,” Stokes said.
The annual s’mores roast has been a consistent occurrence throughout her tenure, though it was briefly interrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns, Stokes said.
The event was originally scheduled to be at the newly renovated Duck Pond, but muddy conditions and potential storms moved the event indoors. In addition to s’more fixings, the event offered hot cocoa and hot apple cider.
“At a time when we’re looking for ways to be connected rather than disconnected, it strikes me as kind of an old-fashioned way to have an experience that’s shared,” Stokes said.
Stokes is currently in her final year as University President, having announced her intention to resign at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year. She said that she still has many visions and plans for the University that she would like to make a reality in the coming months.
“Because this is the 100th anniversary of homecoming, I have been working with our leader for alumni to think about how we can strengthen our homecoming events in the years to come,” Stokes said. “But I am continuing to work on a number of projects, some of them are related to the community and some are more internal, but there will be more to say about that in the coming months.”
Two UNM students, sophomore Emily Schiller and senior Jeniffer Martinez, said they stumbled upon the event by chance, but were excited to take part.
“I feel like it’s kicking off the fall/winter season really nicely,” Schiller said. “It’s great, I feel lucky to be experiencing it.”
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In addition to enjoying charred sugary treats, they said the event also represented an opportunity for students and faculty to become more connected.
“I think it’s important to realize the staff is here,” Martinez said. “And just know that UNM has all these fun things to just get involved and meet new people.”
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
