This weekend, Eastern Michigan University will hold its first Parents and Family Weekend in 15 years. Parents will be able to attend a special tailgate before the game against Ball State, performances by campus ensembles, a theatre production and various sessions on campus life.
EMU has held parent events in the past, including picnics. However, the only family-oriented events Campus Life held in the past 15 years have been more “community open houses” than weekends for families of EMU students, said Director of Campus Life Melissa Ginotti.
The upcoming family weekend aims to be like the parent weekends offered at other universities, but with what Ginotti calls an “Eastern approach.”
This approach will focus on family weekend as a follow-up to Fusion for freshmen. By reminding students of the events always going on campus, Parent Weekend not only entertains students and their families, but also gets them more involved in campus.
For upperclassmen, it also serves this purpose, and gives them a weekend with their parents. Piecing together the schedule, Ginotti said, required “showcasing what’s already there.” This means putting a focus on what’s already happening on campus.
These events featured by Parents Weekend include athletic, artistic and academic activities. In addition to the football game on Saturday, the women’s soccer team has two games, on Friday and Sunday, and the women’s volleyball team has a game on Friday and Saturday.
The EMU choirs have a performance Friday night, and the symphonic band performs on Sunday. The drama department is also performing their production “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” all three days, and the University and Ford galleries have exhibits showing.
Several of these events are also a part of the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. For example, the football game is based on the theme of “Dig and Kick Pink,” and will feature a “Women Who Rock” show by the marching band.
To supplement these activities, Campus Life is putting on a series of events similar to those of orientation. Saturday morning, parents will have the chance to attend lectures by EMU professors and informational sessions on college life. Dinner specials at the Eateries Friday night will also provide parents a window into the lives of students.
Parents are encouraged to register for Parents Weekend. The registration fee covers the Eateries dinner, access to the REC/IM, pregame tailgate and price of a ticket to the game. Registration forms can be found online at http://www.emich.edu/campuslife/parentsweekend.
