For the first time ever, Saint Mary’s first-years and sophomores will come together to share a parent weekend, a perennially popular event put on by class council and the Office of Student Affairs to foster relationships between students, families and the College. The First-Year and Sophomore Parent’s Weekend will kick off Friday evening.
The focus of the first-year and sophomore weekend tends have a more informational aspect in order to give parents a greater sense of what Saint Mary’s has to offer its students from the very beginning of their time there, dean of students Gloria Jenkins said in an email.
“There are information sessions which are targeted to each individual class,” Jenkins said in the email. “Junior moms and senior dads events vary and revolve around that year’s class preference. However, there are fun and social activities for all in attendance.”
With approximately 100 families expected to attend this weekend’s events, class council representatives have worked with the Office of Student Affairs to plan the weekend. While events are largely planned according to the interests of the hosting class, certain events hold a permanent place on every schedule.
“Every family weekend culminates with a great meal on Saturday night, then Mass on Sunday morning,” Jenkins said in the email. “The official schedule of events and the activities are planned the semester prior to the event. For this weekend, we’ll have Friday night trivia, Saturday workshops, bowling and of course, dinner and Sunday Mass.”
Jenkins said the weekends are always well-received by the families in attendance, who appreciate the opportunity to gain a closer connection to the College.
“Parent weekends are meant to provide an opportunity for parents and/or guests to spend time with their student,” she said in the email. “Our guests enjoy seeing a glimpse of their student’s college life and our students enjoy meeting each other’s families. They’ve often heard a great deal about each other and it’s a good chance to really put faces to the names.”
Having a weekend dedicated to bringing together students’ families with their “college family” is just as important to the students as to their parents because it allows them to deepen their existing friendships and to make more connections with classmates and their families, Jenkins said.
“It’s a great time for students to build relationships with each other and their families through fun social events,” she said.
Jenkins said the weekend also serves a practical purpose, providing a way to raise class money that is set aside to finance the flagship celebration concluding the undergraduate experience — Senior Week.
“These weekends are an opportunity for each class to begin to raise money for their Senior Week,” Jenkins said. “The funds that are raised help cover costs for Senior Week, something everyone looks forward to.”
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