For the weekend of Oct. 2-4, Loyola’s campus will play host to the parents of many students for Family Weekend.
The university has hosted family weekends before, but this is the first time the Office of Student Affairs will be hosting it.
There will be many events, including two Lady Wolfpack volleyball games. There will be a competition against residence hall floors at the game on Oct. 2 against Southern University. Each student attending will receive one point for their floor and two points for each family member in attendance. Along with door prizes, there will be a larger prize given to the floor with the most points. To encourage attendance, Student Affairs made admission free for students and their families.
“I am looking forward to seeing the students and their families participate in our school spirit as they cheer the Wolfpack to victory,” Michelle Brenes, a building manager of the University Sports Complex, said.
The first event has parents shadowing their students to class to experience what a typical day is like for a Loyola student. Because of Loyola’s small student to faculty ratio, parents have the opportunity to engage in classroom activity, but space may be limited.
“This weekend is not about fundraising or an alumni gathering,” Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life, said. “We are helping parents experience what Loyola life is like.”
Fun Facts and Fables — All About New Orleans, a bus tour, will lead students and their families through historic New Orleans. On Saturday morning, two professional tour guides will help parents learn more about the history of city their students live in. Each tour will begin at the Freret Street entrance and should last two and a half hours.
“Explore New Orleans” encourages families to be a part of the New Orleans lifestyle. After the tour, families will have free time, giving them the opportunity to journey through the city to see anything they wish to see. This will allow them to absorb the rich culture New Orleans has to offer.
“I think we spend a lot of money on the students’ experience, and we want to let those parents view that experience,” Beebe said.
On Sunday morning, the “Jazz Brunch” in the Orleans Room will mark the official end to Family Weekend. This will give parents a chance to meet university heads like Marcia “Cissy” Petty, vice president for Student Affairs and associate provost, and Edward J. Kvet, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. During this time, Kvet will give an update on the university — where it is going after Hurricane Katrina.
If families wish to stay longer, there will be a Crescent City Wind Symphony concert in Roussel Hall, located in the Communications/Music Complex.
“All activities are designed for parents and students to participate together,” Beebe said.
Students and their families can register online at www.loyno.edu/reslife/familyweekend. The registration fee is $60 per adult; Loyola students and children under 12 are free. Families can also pay on the first day during registration.
“There’s really no deadline,” Beebe said, “even if families just show up that day, we’ll admit them.”
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