Story by Ben Hartong
Geek Week is back for its 12th year, and for the second straight fall, the week centers around Halloween.
From Monday, Oct. 26, to Friday, Oct. 30, Mizzou students from across campus can participate in daily festivities from craft making to trivia, as well as multiple community service initiatives.
The week, hosted by the Honors College Student Council in collaboration with the Honors College, features seven opportunities for students to connect and get in the holiday spirit.
“Our goal of the student council is essentially just to provide a space for Honors College students to grow socially, academically and in service,” said Lara DePauw, a junior pursuing degrees in economics and journalism and the president of the Honors College Student Council. “I think Geek Week is such a great example of that because all of the events that are being held relate back to those three core committees.”
Throughout the week, students can connect through blanket-making and tote bag-making workshops, trivia competitions, Bob Ross-themed painting activities and a murder mystery. The student council is also hosting a volunteer session at the Central Missouri Humane Society and an online costume showcase in addition to its core festivities.
“We’re walking dogs, and that’s just another way to, kind of, give back,” said Tanishka Ashili, the major events committee co-chair and lead Geek Week organizer. Ashili is a sophomore psychological sciences major.
Geek Week kicks off with a tie-blanket-making session. All blankets made will be donated to Miracles 4 Margaret, a nonprofit based in Jefferson City, Missouri.
The student council’s social and service committees will play a role in staffing and coordinating the event, while Ashili is also partnering with the student development committee co-chairs to host a trivia night. Six students serve on the three committees, which are part of the 12-member Honors College Student Council responsible for organizing the events.
Since its inception in 2015, Geek Week has featured multiple themes, including “Let’s Play” in 2023 and “Let the Magic Begin” in 2024. The 2025 celebration embraced “Halloween” as its theme.
With Geek Week once again falling just before Halloween, student leaders decided to continue the theme. While themes may carry over, it is important to note that the upcoming events bring new opportunities for students.
“This year we’re focusing more on Grimms’ fairy tales,” DePauw said, describing how this year’s Geek Week differs from last year’s.
Supplementing the week’s events is an online costume showcase where students can submit their costumes to be featured on the student council’s social media. Students are encouraged to submit multiple costumes, with each submission including one entry into a raffle.
“It’s a way to show the Honors student body and introduce them to each other, because that’s always really fun to be able to show off our students,” Ashili said.
“No one can really get to know each other if they’re all stuck in their rooms,” Ashili said. “The events that we get to throw not only help them socialize with each other, but also there’s things like the service events we are doing, where it’s an opportunity for them to give back to the community.”
The 2026 Geek Week schedule is below. Students can register through the Honors College Student Council’s MU Engage page.
Monday, Oct. 26
- Tie Blanket Making: 4:30-6 p.m. in 234 Arts & Sciences
- Costume Showcase: MU Engage, entries close Sunday, Nov. 1
Tuesday, Oct. 27
- Tote Bag Applique Workshop: 12-2 p.m. in 209 Lowry
- Humane Society Volunteering: 3-5 p.m. at Central Missouri Humane Society
Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Trivia Night: 6-7:30 p.m. in 105 Strickland
Thursday, Oct. 29
- Bob Ross Painting Night: 6-7:30 p.m. in Mark Twain Lobby
Friday, Oct. 30
- Murder Mystery Night: 6-8:30 p.m. in Stotler Lounge (Memorial Union)