Elliot Steeves-
Gustavus is hard at work preparing for Family Weekend from October 6th to 8th. The weekend will see many families of many Gustavus students pay a visit to the college – and sometimes, siblings may even sleep over. Family Weekend is an opportunity for the families of Gustavus students to see what campus life is like during the academic year. Families get to experience the normal happenings of Gustavus, as well as meet the friends of their students.
“We have a lot of people for the summer and during Gustie Gear Up, which is during the summer and not the middle of a normal semester,” Interim Dean of Student Life Charlie Potts said. “We love the idea of Gusties being able to talk about what this place is, and what their experience is here. Families get to meet your friends and see how you spend your time on campus.”
Families of Gustavus students will be able to visit classes, as well as participate in a number of activities. A fall festival will take place in the Arboretum, and there will be other activities later in the evening such as Family Feud, Trivia, and Bingo. “We built in [these games] so that you could bring siblings over to have fun on campus,” Potts said.”This is a good way to do it.”
The experience has been extremely rewarding for families who want to know what the typical on-campus experience is like for students. “To be here on a normal weekend gives family insight into what the experience is like, and the family members really enjoy it,” Potts said.
A key component of family weekend is the chance for siblings to spend a period overnight with their respective college student. In fact, there is an entire plethora of events geared toward this part of the weekend. “Generally, the sibling sleepover is a chance for siblings to visit students after they have settled on campus for a period of time,” Area Coordinator Olivia Ward said.
The events geared toward the sibling sleepover will occur from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday night. Among these events are tie-dye for students and family members, yard games with cotton candy outside of Uhler Hall, and a Sip and Paint event in the basement of Sohre. Additionally, there will be a bonfire at the Complex fire pit, followed by a movie showing at the Norelius fire pit. This will coincide with a pancake bar in the International Center kitchen.
This portion is designed for students of all ages to be able to participate and enjoy – including siblings who might not be as young as some of these activities suggest. “Our hope with this event is that it’s fun for all ages of students,” Ward said.
The process to account for so many siblings staying in the residence halls is fairly straightforward: an attendance sheet.
“There is no pre-registration required,” Ward said. “They will stay in the rooms of their siblings. We track the attendance. We do an ID tap at the activities for students, and a sign-in sheet for the siblings. We’re also curious about how many siblings are coming, and what the age demographic is,” Ward said.
Residential Life has gotten positive feedback from parents about sibling weekend, based on comments made at the events. Additionally, any student can attend any of the events, with or without a sibling.
If you are wondering about whether family weekend is memorable or not, take it from Gustavus staff members that it is a positive, fun occasion.
“Seeing students in a family role helping their sibling is gratifying,” Ward said. “Seeing those students take their siblings under their wing is a fun experience, as they guide them through the events.”
So, take it from the Gusties: Family Weekend will allow family members of all stripes to experience Gustavus along with their students, and have some fun along the way.