This past weekend was Drew University’s Family Weekend. From Oct. 7 through Oct. 9, students’ families had the opportunity to participate in various activities all over campus.
On Friday evening, the movie Hocus Pocus was shown on an inflatable screen on Hoyt lawn. Students were able to bring blankets and snacks while watching the movie with their guests. It was the perfect atmosphere for a Halloween movie night, even though it drizzled at times. When asked what they thought about the event, Emma Silva (‘26) said “It’s such a fun time to be spending it with family and friends!”.
Cecilia Lomanno (‘26), who accompanied Silva to the movie, added, “It’s such a great campus bonding event.”. Gatherings like these give parents and guardians the opportunity to see life on Drew’s campus as well as a glimpse of their loved ones’ college experience.
On Saturday, the day started early with a tour of the archives at 9:30 a.m., followed by a haunted tour of Drew’s campus at 10 a.m. An in-depth discussion of how the archives functioned was led by the Manager of Special Collections, Candace Reilly. She thoughtfully guided the students and their families through the process of maintaining the materials in the archives.
“I really enjoyed visiting the archives, and I was able to learn a lot about what goes into a career like that,” said Sergio Duran, a history enthusiast who participated in the tour with his niece, Nina Grace (’26). “It was amazing to be able to handle the different materials myself.”
“It is wonderful to be on a campus again and see all of the different possibilities that students can take advantage of,” Chris Gioia, another family visitor, said after attending both the ghost tour and tour of the Methodist Archives. “These opportunities can help them enjoy their campus life to the fullest.”
The family fun continued into the afternoon with the fall festival which included pumpkin painting as well as a petting zoo on the lawn by the Ehinger Center. A station was set up for hot drinks, and of course, food trucks were parked behind the EC.
Families had their final opportunity of the weekend to join their students during brunch in the Commons on Sunday. After this year’s turnout and the multitude of activities offered after a full force post-COVID return to family weekend, many are sure to return for more family fun.
Featured image courtesy of Dee Cohen
