Crowds of happy families flooded the streets of Athens this weekend as parents came to visit students for Ohio University’s annual Parents Weekend.
As always, a series of events were planned by the university to provide opportunities for fun and festivities for visiting families and students. Activities ranged from sporting events, magic and comedy performances, and outdoor hikes and zip lining.
Pamela Gaboury climbs the rope ladder at the Outdoor Pursuits zip line at The Ridges on Sept. 30. (FILE)
On Friday night, award-winning magician Daniel Martin performed in Templeton Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium as a special Parents Weekend add-on to the Performing Arts and Concert Series.
Lena Schlemmer, a sophomore studying accounting, attended the show with her parents.
“Magic is pretty cool, and this guy’s stuff seemed almost psychic,” Schlemmer said. “The end tricks were really fascinating. He definitely knew what he was doing.”
Saturday afternoon brought a nearly full stadium of fans to Ohio’s football matchup with UMass. The Bobcats beat the Minutemen 58-42.
Amy Hummel, a sophomore studying communication studies, and her parents have made a tradition of attend the Parents Weekend football games: They attended the game both this year and last year. Amy’s mother, Kathy, said she especially enjoys watching the Marching 110 halftime show.
“It’s fun because your parents aren’t here with you all the time, so just to have them here for a day is pretty cool,” Amy said.
Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the Bocbats’ game against UMass on Saturday. (FILE)
Performances by the Second City comedy troupe have become a traditional Parents Weekend event, and the show in MemAud on Saturday night elicited laughs from parents and students alike.
Eric Pfingstag, a freshman studying pre-media, attended the Second City show, “Made in America,” with his mom, Lori. Eric especially enjoyed the show because of his previous experiences with theater performance, and Lori said the show was “phenomenal.”
"I've been to the Second City in Chicago with my dad, and I wanted to take my mom to see it too,” Eric said. “They're extremely entertaining and current."
Michele Blair purchases Bobcats of the Shelter Dogs spirit wear from the table in front of College Gateway during Parents Weekend on Saturday,
—Baylee DeMuth and Alice Demith contributed to this report.
