Evelyn Filleman

Families from all over the country come September 27th-29th to visit their students and experience Harding. Having organized several events for the weekend, the Parent and Alumni Relations office worked hard to make visits as fulfilling as possible. 

“Moms and dads want to see where their student is, meet their friends and make sure they’re thriving,” director of parent and alumni relations Heather Kemper said. “It’s not a packed weekend like Homecoming is, and we try to allow for a lot of free time that families can use to do things together.” 

Some of the events included the Bluegrass and Barbeque concert, Parent Network Breakfast on Saturday morning and the football tailgate and game Saturday afternoon. These events bring excitement and nostalgia to parents and students. 

“[My family and I] will most likely participate in some of the events that bring back good memories of my parents’ campus involvement, like Good News Singers, Bluegrass and Barbeque and the football game,” junior Madison Bell said. “It’s so wonderful to see students buzzing around campus, passionately sharing their lives with their proud parents.” 

With so many families visiting campus, logistics must be considered — with one of these being. ‘where will people eat?’ In years past families have used their student’s guest swipes; however, with this no longer offered, how does this impact the weekend? 

“We will probably go to Greek House or Mi Pueblito to eat,” junior Abby Christison said. “I didn’t usually use guest swipes anyway, so it’s nothing different than usual.” 

Some food options, like the food trucks at the tailgate, were provided at the events, Kemper said. Additionally, Aramark has been working hard to make all on-campus dining accessible to the public. 

“We welcome all campus guests to enjoy our dining facilities,” Aramark marketing manager Jason Warrington said via email. “Harding and Aramark have worked together to structure and price meal plans. Guests can pay the door rate at the entrance, and you can also use DCB to pay this rate. We also encourage everyone to join us for the Parent Networking Breakfast this Saturday, hosted by Harding.” 

Family weekend lets parents reconnect with their children, whether that means eating together in the Caf, eating off campus, or attending events like the tailgate. While the many activities are fun and memorable, the true value of the weekend is found in the joy that reconnection brings. 

“I enjoy getting to see my family after being away from home for a while, it’s a nice change of pace,” Christison said. “I love getting to catch up with them and update them on stuff happening on campus. It always means a lot to me because it is a great reset to have a joy-filled weekend with my family, taking a break from my normal routine.”