This past weekend marked the annual Family Weekend, a chance for Newman students to invite their families to visit, partake in events both on and off campus and receive a little taste of the Newman experience. Invitations for the weekend extended beyond merely Newman students and their families, and included faculty members and alumni as well.
The activities began on Friday, Oct. 7 and continued throughout the weekend until Sunday, Oct. 9. A few of the Family Weekend events included the Newman Music and Theatre Department’s production of “Triumph of Love” located in De Mattias Hall, a family fall craft activity, an alumni softball game, family portraits, a bowling tailgate and a trip to Bergmann’s Corn Maze.
Newman is known for being a commuter-based school, so the goal of the weekend was to give families the Newman experience while also exploring opportunities around Wichita, said Graduate Assistant of Student Activities and Intramurals Megan Hemel. “This weekend gives the Newman community the opportunity to celebrate that ‘family’ aspect that Newman is so geared towards.”
Freshman Emily Larkin invited both of her parents to visit and shared that her highlight of the weekend was participating in the Bergmann’s Corn Maze located in Haysville. “There was something for everyone,” Larkin said. “It was really fun relying on each other to get through the maze and we got to enjoy the cool fall weather, too. Overall, Family Weekend was a great opportunity that brought us all together.”
The Campus Activities Board covered the cost of the corn maze ticket and tractor rides, and families were even able to sit down together in a barn and watch the “Wizard of Oz” and one “up-to-date” movie, Hemel said.
While the turnout is different each year depending on which activities are held, Hemel shared that the 2016 Newman Family Weekend was a success.
“All the families that came out had a blast. It is here that the students’ personal families and the Newman family meet,” Hemel said. “We want students to know that we love their families as much as we love them.”
