By JONAS MILLER
Features Editor
Over the weekend, The College of Saint Rose held its annual Family Weekend, although this year looked noticeably different from years past.
There were no bounce-houses on the campus green, nor was there a slushy machine touting free flavored ice at passers-by.
This year the “celebration” of sorts featured sporting events on and off campus for families to enjoy, as well as smaller, indoor events that advertised varying amounts of inclusivity.
“I wish there was something families could have been more actively involved in,” said Marisa Benson, a junior at the College.
Benson and her family attended the festivities her freshman and sophomore years, but admitted this year they didn’t do anything together on the Saint Rose campus.
“My parents loved the carnival on the quad,” Benson said. She recalls her mom getting a massage last year in the middle of the green.
There were no massages to be had this year, as the most popular events included the “Mr. Wizard” show, put on by the National Science Association and some of The College’s science students, and a women’s volleyball game, held in the main gym on campus.
The show, a staple for at least three years held in the Thelma P. Lally School of Education, was a series of experiments that highlighted different scientific theories.
Taylor Knapp, a Biology major at the College, helped put on the event, and described it as being “super fun.”
“It was really great to see people’s reactions to the experiments,” Knapp said. “People really seemed to enjoy it.”
A new addition to the family weekend roster were scheduled bus tours throughout Albany. The tours required preregistration after a postcard was sent out to families letting them know of the opportunity. Marissa Ramos, a senior at the College has had her family visit on family weekend since her freshman year. While they missed the events on the quad, Ramos and her mother enjoyed the bus tours.
“Being able to enjoy the views instead of fighting traffic was great,” said Charlene Adams, Ramos’ mother. “Albany is a beautiful city.”
A favorite part of the tour for the pair was the tour guide who was characterized as an “old, fat, but snappy” lady. They laughed together remembering her calling Governor Rockefeller “Rocky.”
In addition to the tour they attended one of the on-campus sporting events, a volleyball game.
“It’s really great to have some sort of home sporting event on campus,” Adams said.
In terms of food and refreshments for the weekend, Aramark, the College’s dining service, served brunch at 10:30 on Saturday, and 9:30 on Sunday, in order to cater to families that might not be able to make it to one or the other.
Rich Meigel, the head of dining services for the college, said weekends like this one can be stressful for the staff.
Meigel said most of the worry comes from not knowing how many families are going to show up.
“We very rarely use leftovers, but if ten people show up, what do you do with all the food?” Meigel said.
Although ten is clearly a unlikely hypothetical, the brunches were communicated to students and families, so they know what is going on.
Students who attended the dining hall with their families had the option of using guest swipes to pay for their family’s meals. Each student is allowed five guest swipes per semester, so if they have already been used up, family members had to pay a fee per meal to eat. The charge for adults was $11.61 a person, with children under seven being allowed in for free.
Family weekend occurred a week later than it has in previous years, for several reasons.
Ruth Wakefield, who has been in charge of planning the weekend for many years, attributed the move to unpredictable weather, and a busy schedule of events in the first month of the semester.
“Living in the Northeast and trying to schedule any event outdoors is a challenge,” Wakefield said. “The October date seemed like a good one, as the weather is usually still mild.”
Although the only outdoor activities were a men’s soccer game, several tennis matches, and scheduled bus tours of Albany, the weather held up and allowed for a crisp fall weekend to be enjoyed by students and their families.
