University Hails First Family Weekend in Five Years

Laura Caporaletti, Tower Staff
October 7, 2011
Filed under News

The University is buzzing with excitement over this year’s Family Weekend, which will take place this coming Friday and Saturday. President John H. Garvey is reinstating Family Weekend for the first time in five years. He has been working hard with The Office of Campus Activities to ensure its success.

Natasha Medeiros, a senior history major, is the student coordinator for Family Weekend. She has been working nonstop since the end of the spring semester in preparation for the weekend in conjunction with Bill Jonas, Assistant Vice President for University Relations.

Approximately 1,100 parents and siblings will arrive from all over the country between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. today. The University has coordinated special CUA rates with many local hotels, so all families will be able to stay the weekend for an affordable price.

The events will kick-off with a presentation by Professor Diane Bunce on the West Pryz Lawn entitled “Who Said Chemistry Can’t Be Fun?” She and her students will be guiding the audience through a series of chemistry experiments, in hopes of wowing the crowd.

At 4 p.m. there is a campus tour and later, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., families will head over to the Dufour Center to join a pre-game barbeque before the night’s football game against Randolph-Macon College. Afterwards, students of CUA and their siblings can go to the Opus Hall Lobby for a Siblings Social.

“I can’t wait for the Sibling Social,” said Chelsea Good, a junior engineering major. “I get to meet my peers’ baby siblings, and show off mine!” All four of Chelsea’s siblings, two of whom are alumni, will be coming to join in the festivities of Family Weekend. Chelsea had the unique experience of being able to attend CUA’s last Family Weekend, hosted in 2006. At that time her sister Danielle, a 2010 graduate from the School of Music, was attending the University.

“Back then it consisted of some free food events, staying in the dorm with my sister and, if I remember correctly, a 5k run,” said Chelsea. Her older brother, Brandon Good, a 2008 graduate in electrical engineering, hosted her younger brother during Family Weekend in 2005. Now, it is finally her turn.

“It’s difficult to schedule, with my parents and my academics, a time for my younger siblings to visit,” said Chelsea. “The moment I saw on CUA’s home page the announcement of ‘Family Weekend’ I instantly emailed my parents the link and dates to see if it would work out.”

This year, Chelsea will be showing her younger sister, Erica, what it is like to be a CUA student, and she is also excited to show Erica around in such a fun and positive environment.

On Saturday, Family Weekend will hit the ground running with a continental breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m., sponsored by The Office of Alumni Relations. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., all families will have an opportunity to participate in a number of service events, such as planting flowers around campus and making cards for service men and women.

Afterwards, families will make their way to the west lawn of the Pryzbyla Center to attend the Cardinal Family Carnival. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., families can enjoy fun games and food as they catch up with their children and meet their peers.

At 11:30 a.m., families can also make their way to the Dufour Center to attend one of the main events of the weekend: having brunch with President Garvey and hearing him speak about the current state of the University. Later in the day, tours of various D.C. attractions will take place between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., as well as a tour of campus at 2 p.m.

Families and campus administration will gather together at the Basilica of the National Shrine to celebrate a Mass in closing of Family Weekend.  For more information, and links to sign up for the weekend’s activities, visit familyweekend.cua.edu.