Families from all over were brought together in Athens as part of Parents Weekend.
Parents had the opportunity to enjoy some quality time with their children, including the variety of activities put on by Ohio University.
On Friday, Baker University Center hosted a welcome session in the Honors Collegium. Along with that, there was also a comedy show – Second City Greatest Hits Vol. 59 — at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Outdoor Pursuits also hosted a campfire and stargazing event.
On Saturday, the day started with a brunch in Baker Ballroom.
Saturday also offered ziplining at The Ridges and students and their families could also attend the Ohio and Louisiana-Lafayette football game at Peden Stadium.
Saturday night featured the performing arts series, “An Evening with Piff the Magic Dragon,” who is a comedian-magician, at MemAud. As well as two screenings of Back to the Future at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St. Any Colour, a Pink Floyd tribute band, also performed that night at The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St.
On Sunday, families could hike at Conkles Hollow in Hocking Hills, hosted by Outdoor Pursuits.
But for some parents, it was simply reuniting them with their children for the first time in weeks that brought the most joy.
“The best part is seeing my daughter again,” John Gale, father of Megan Gale, a freshman studying special education, said. “Last time we saw her, we had just dropped her off for move-in day.”
Gale said he and his family went on a tour of campus guided by his daughter. They checked out her day-to-day lifestyle, like campus itself and where she takes her classes.
Attending OU was a dream of his daughter’s, he said. It was her top pick for colleges.
“It’s great knowing she’s having a good time here,” he said. “She’s really enjoying the classes and the atmosphere.”
Gale said a highlight of their weekend was seeing the Marching 110 perform on the Baker Center escalators.
“That was pretty cool,” he said.
Gale also enjoyed Whit’s custard late Saturday night with his family.
For other families, the best part was getting to see how their children are growing up.
“It’s been a blast,” Julie Yeater, mother of Grant Yeater, an undecided freshman, said, “just hanging out with our child and seeing him in a new environment where he’s a young adult.”
Yeater and her family went to the football game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
“We were tailgating today at the game, our first OU game,” Heath Yeater, father of Grant Yeater, said. “It’s been awesome.”
Heath Yeater said tailgating was great despite the hot weather. Other parents took advantage of the heat.
“We went swimming at my daughter’s apartment at Riverpark, which was really nice,” Carly Janowiecki, mother of Katlyn Cooper, a senior studying nursing, said.
As part of her first Parents Weekend, Janowiecki took in the Athens scenery and visited the Hocking River.
This was the second Parents Weekend for Gabrielle Smith, a senior studying education.
“The best part is spending time with our daughter,” Kevin Baskin, Smith’s father, said.
“It makes you feel young again, too,” Heather Baskin, Smith’s mother, said, “walking around here and seeing everything with her.”
