While most Saint Mary's students had the all-school formal and Diverse Students' Leadership Conference to break the monotony of winter, the sophomore class has an additional activity to keep things interesting - Sophomore Parents' Weekend, which starts today and lasts through Sunday.
The sophomore board has planned the weekend for about two months and some of the events have been booked for a year, sophomore class president Camille Gebert said.
"It has been a lot of hard work, but it will definitely be a fun weekend," Gebert said.
About 200 parents will come to campus this weekend, Gebert said.
There will be a few scheduled events, Gebert said, but she didn't want parents and students to run from place to place.
"It's important to have a parent's weekend because it's nice to be able to show your parent's what your life is like at school," she said. "It's nice to share a weekend of events with your parents and show off your school to them. They get to see where your new home is."
The first planned event is a meet and greet with professors taking place this afternoon. Parents will be able to purchase t-shirts and visit the bookstore, while they meet professors and listen to a performance from Saint Mary's a cappella group, Bellacappella.
For Saint Mary's women whose mothers also attended Saint Mary's, there are two legacy receptions Friday and Saturday. The weekend's signature event, mass at the Church of Loretto, and a formal dinner at the Century Center will take place on Saturday night.
"This is by far the weekend's biggest event," Gebert said
The dinner will include a silent auction and a raffle for baskets made by the sophomore board, parents and friends of the College.
The weekend is about strengthening the relationships of Saint Mary's sophomores and their parents, Gebert said.
"I hope that this weekend brings a sense of unity and bonding between the daughters and their parents," Gebert said. "As we are growing up fast, and maturing into women, it's important that our parents be witnesses to this growth."
Sophomore Kate Ortigara is excited for her parents to see the campus.
"I hope my parents get a better sense of my lifestyle here and see the Saint Mary's atmosphere," Ortigara said.
