It’s all in the family

Factoid:For a list of all Family Weekend activities, go to http://www.siuc.edu/cover0209181.html.

Being a freshman from Marseilles, Lisa Scarber’s opportunities to visit her family were few and far between.

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So they drove down last fall as a part of her first SIUC Family Weekend.

“I think my parents enjoyed it more that I did,” said Scarber, currently a sophomore in psychology.

Family weekend, which begins today, features two days of events designed to provide outlets for students to reconnect with their families on the SIUC campus.

With a range of activities, from free boat rentals and use of the Recreation Center to the Greek Sing, a welcome dinner, and residence hall brunch, the two-day event provides ample opportunities for students to mingle with families.

Donald Castle, University programming coordinator, said students and families do not need to feel obligated to participate in all or even any of the Student Programming Council events.

“The important thing is to spend time together,” he said. “Some parents come to town and we may not even know they’re here because we never see them.”

University Housing is sponsoring Saturday’s football game and is offering free hot dogs and glow-in-the-dark yo-yos to individuals journeying to Saluki Row in honor of Family Weekend.

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“Originally, we were going to give out Frisbees, but the athletic director wasn’t thrilled,” said Elizabeth Scally, director of marketing and conferencing for University Housing. “We wanted to do something that glows in the dark, to go with the stadium’s new lights and the night game.”

She said it’s important for University Housing to get involved with Family Weekend because they need to celebrate the people who got the students to SIUC.

Edward Jones, director of University Housing, said it is important for housing to support Saluki athletics, especially the football team, which is often seen as the heart of most schools.

“It makes a difference when you get behind the football team,” he said.

Some students feel Family Weekend is centered too much on SIUC sports.

Megan Boston, a sophomore in administration of justice from Carlinville, said her parents are not coming this year because there was nothing on the schedule that interested them, and instead, she is going home.

“SPC needs to provide a more well-rounded schedule catering not just to sports fans,” she said. “There really isn’t anything besides crafts – it’s just all sports.”

Nicole Puckett, a sophomore in education from Decatur, said that although she agreed with Boston, she does approve of Family Weekend in general.

“It gives me a chance to meet everyone else’s parents,” she said.

Castle contends that Family Weekend is full of a diverse range of activities for all individuals. He said the group creates events they think the students can enjoy with their parents and families, but admits the football game is a big part of it.

“Any number of family members of any age can go to a game and have fun,” he said. “Some will want to go to the game, but not everyone will.”

Scarber said although her parents are not participating in family weekend this year, she believes the program is a good idea and that it provides an opportunity for students and families to see each other.

“It gives the family a chance to see how the student lives, not just through brochures, but through the kid’s perspective,” she said.

Reporter Katie A. Davis can be reached at [email protected]