Family Weekend returns after hiatus
After a year off due to COVID, families were welcomed back onto campus for the traditional Family Weekend. Popular events included apple picking at the Collegeville Orchards, tours of the Abbey, and a football game.
Last weekend, CSB/SJU welcomed families to visit campus during the school’s annual Family Weekend.
The weekend of Oct. 15-17, families of current students were invited to visit them on campus. This was the first time that Family Weekend was held since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Family Weekend events included a carnival on Saturday held at CSB, apple picking at the Collegeville Orchards and tours of the Abbey. The weekend was also coincided with the Festival of Cultures, a boys choir concert and the football game against St. Olaf.
The events offered a chance for families to reconnect. This was especially important for students whose parents live far away from the university and college, whether that was still in the state or outside of it.
“My mother flew up from [our home in] North Carolina. It was really nice to see her,” said Noah Frenchu, SJU first-year. “We spent most of our time outside and hiking the grounds because fall in North Carolina lasts approximately a week before you go straight into just the gray part of winter.”
Experiences of Family Weekend varied from student to student. Some students opted for individual plans that allowed them and their families to enjoy the wider campus rather than take part in larger activities.
“My mom and dad and my brother come up for Saturday and Sunday,” said Chloe Terpstra, CSB first-year. “We did not go to the football game. They were more interested in getting a tour of both campuses than the football game.”
However, not all students were able to enjoy the weekend with their family. Issues such as distance, finances and COVID prevented students from being able to meet with their families.
First-year Sebastian Guzman, for example, did not receive a visit with his family at this time by choice. He believed they would make better use of the money that would be used for the trip elsewhere. While he missed his parents and looks forward to seeing them in the future, he felt that he did not miss out over family weekend.
“I hung out with friends.” Guzman said, “A bunch of my friends, most of them are from Chicago too, so we were able to hang out and just kind of have fun since most of their families didn’t come either. We still went to the carnival and all the activities they had, but it just wasn’t a family. I mean, I guess it was a different kind of family.”