Lindsey Boerma
Staff Writer
The university hosted it’s largest-ever Family Weekend this year, a three-day event which culminated in a midnight celebration in Firestone Fieldhouse.
A large welcome banner hung on Pepperdine’s campus Friday greeting relatives of students who came from around the world for Family Weekend. The Family Weekend program, which has been a Pepperdine tradition for the past 18 years, produced the largest turnout of family members ever this year, with 612 registered participants in attendance.
Activities, including sporting events, theater productions and other programs designed specifically for the weekend, were scheduled from Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 15. Most events were free to family members who had paid the registration fee of $100.
Friday afternoon, relatives were given the chance to sit in on a class, meet with professors and take campus tours.
The President’s Open House, which was a casual reception held Friday night at Brock House hosted by President Andrew K. Benton, officially kicked off the Family Weekend events.
Doug Hurley, the director of student activities, said that the reception is something that is offered each year during Family Weekend, as it is one of the most popular family events at Pepperdine.
The Midnight Entourage celebration at Firestone Fieldhouse, marking the start of the fall athletics season, topped off the evening on Friday. The event was preceded by festivities in the parking lot, including attractions such as a rock climbing wall, an inflatable obstacle course and free food and Pepperdine gear.
Saturday morning, families were given the opportunity to join together for a gourmet coffee breakfast while Dean of Seaver College David Baird and Director of the Seaver Parents Council Sarah Young-Jackson informed them of campus life and the different ways in which parents and family members can get involved at Pepperdine.
A barbecue lunch was provided for families while comedian Adam Christing performed a skit entitled “Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money!” A special legacy lunch with Pepperdine alumni was also offered for families.
For family members desiring to take in Pepperdine’s scenic surroundings, Dr. Stephen Davis, distinguished professor of biology, led an afternoon nature hike through Solstice Canyon.
Saturday evening, a banquet was held in Waves Cafeteria. Pepperdine’s concert choir sang several of their latest selections. A performance by the Pepperdine Improv Troupe in Elkins Auditorium followed the banquet.
Sunday morning, families were welcome to attend worship services at the University Church of Christ, and other campus activities were scheduled later in the day.
Manager of the parents program Becky Lowe said one aspect of Family Weekend that event coordinators tried to emphasize this year was appealing to family members outside of simply the parents.
“Family weekend is just a great tradition, because Pepperdine is always trying to be family-oriented,” she said. “The target in the past few years has been to let students know that it isn’t just for parents, and that they can bring the whole family.”
This effort to include all family members was represented through the activities designed for that specific purpose.
Camp Pepperdine Game Day was a program offered Saturday morning that appealed to younger siblings and relatives of students. Its purpose was to give children a chance to have fun and play games while allowing the rest of the family to attend the morning sessions.
A new addition to the Family Week schedule was the Grandparents Reception, a short program preceding the Saturday night banquet designed exclusively for grandparents.
Hurley said that Pepperdine will continue to develop programs that appeal to all family members in the coming years.
“We’ve always had more than just parents, but we really want to encourage grandparents and even aunts and uncles to come see what their student is doing at college,” he said.
Another aspect of Family Weekend event coordinators hope to change in the future is the fact that the majority of people that attend are relatives of first-year students. According to Hurley, 90 percent of families come for freshmen.
Such is the case for Jean Guy, who traveled from Heyworth, Ill. to visit her daughter, freshman Katie Guy.
“[Family Weekend] probably appeals to the parents of freshmen because those are the parents that are most concerned about their child’s adjustment and if they’re homesick,” Guy said. “It’s beneficial in terms of getting a better feel for what they’re doing at college.”
Lowe is one coordinator among many others who hope to attract more family members of sophomores, juniors and seniors.
“We’re trying to think of other programs that would encourage parents to keep coming back after their student’s freshman year,” she said.
Freshmen, such as Sedona Valentine, said they enjoy Family Weekend because it gives them a chance to show family members around the campus, as well as the surrounding area.
“My favorite part of Family Weekend was taking my parents to Malibu Yo,” Valentine said.
All in all, Family Weekend proved a success for many families this year.
“For me, whether or not Family Weekend is successful depends on how parents and students react,” said Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton. “Campus spirit was exceptionally warm, attendance was strong and each year we host it we do it a little bit better and we’ll learn more for next year.”
10-19-2006