Spring semester in Athens can mean a lot of different things to the students of Ohio University. This particular semester, filled with the afterglow of Joe Burrow’s Heisman trophy win and the Kansas Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, the semester continues to brim with possibilities for all.
Despite all the business, some things, such as the various OU Sibs Weekend festivities, remain the same. Sibs Weekend, which lasts from Friday, Feb. 7 to Sunday, Feb. 9, will host a plethora of fun, spontaneous activities and events for students and visitors alike.
“I’m always excited about special events that allow a student’s family to enjoy campus and see what their students have been working on,” Josh Gruenke, associate director of Student Activities for the Campus Involvement Center, said. “We have heavy involvement from a lot of multicultural groups having things like fashion shows.”
OU hosts a variety of different weekend events, such as Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend and Sibs Weekend to bring liveliness and vigor back to Athens.
Stand up comedian and former America’s Got Talent contestant Preacher Lawson will perform at 8 p.m. at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Friday. Lawson, in addition to his comedic career, maintains a Youtube channel with over 370,000 subscribers.
“We are really excited to have Preacher [Lawson],” Corbin Marsh, assistant director of Programming of the OU Performing Arts & Concert Series, said. “He is going to work well with the crowds because he has a goofy sense of humor, which appeals to a lot of different age groups.”
The OU Performing Arts & Concert Series program traditionally presents a family-friendly program on the Friday of Sibs Weekend, with Saturday being reserved for concerts and music performances.
“The last few years, we have been looking to offer a new program for Friday nights.” Andrew Holzaepfel, senior associate director for student activities, said. “The Multicultural Center has always done a Saturday night ‘sibs concert’ and they've had a lot of success with that.”
This year, OU will host rapper G Herbo, who will perform at the MemAud on Saturday. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m.
For students and siblings looking for more music-related events, Alden Library will host a silent disco Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the CoLab on the third floor. The Colab will also provide wireless headphones, refreshments and local DJ’s to entertain attendees.
Additionally, Alden will host a free ‘A to Zine’ workshop from noon to 2 p.m., where students construct a mini magazine - a zine - out of cutout letters and images, in the Friends of the Library, room 319.
OU athletics will also be turning out in full force to compete this weekend. OU men's hockey will play against Stony Brook University from New York at Bird Arena on both Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Both the men's and women's basketball teams will play at home on Saturday at the Convocation Center. The ladies will be up against Kent State at 1 p.m. and the men's team playing Miami University at 3:30 p.m.
If students are looking to spend some quality time with their sibling away from the ruckus of campus, The Ridges is hosting a zipline activity on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be hiking trails open in Hocking Hills to visitors and a stargazing and campfire session available from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
OU FACES, a student modeling organization that encourages body positivity and self love, will also put on its annual fashion show at Baker Theater at 3 p.m.
With all the many activities available this weekend for students and siblings, there is no limit to the mischief or memories to be made.
“For Sibs Weekend I would probably take them [siblings] around campus and show them around,” Justin Sackett, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering, said. “The thing I would be looking forward to most for that weekend is to just see my siblings.”
