One of my favorite weekends in the spring semester comes at the end of April, known as Family Weekend. It is a time when parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends can all come to campus to visit their students and celebrate the close of the school year.
Spring Court Coronation and Pageant
Family Weekend has been a tradition at Grove City College for over 100 years. Dating back to the first May Queen in 1905, the College has held festivities before finals week for generations. Organized dances, which grew into the Spring Dance Company, began in 1920. Greek Sing began with performances from the on-campus Greek organizations in 1957 and has since morphed into All-College Sing to incorporate independent groups. The weekend has transformed into a celebration of the families that support Grove City College students, with opportunities for all students to showcase their strengths and achievements.
Multi-year, All-Campus Sing reigning men’s champs: Alpha Epsilon Chi (AEX) housing group
An individual dance by Spring Dance Company
The weekend is full of sporting events, ensemble performances, research presentations and opportunities to showcase the fine arts. Various student organizations host luncheons and cookouts for the families of their members. Saturday afternoon features the Spring Queen coronation and the Spring Dance Company performance. That evening, students and families from all over campus come to watch sororities, fraternities, independent men’s housing groups, and independent student groups perform in All-College Sing.
As a graduating senior, I have started to reflect back on my time at Grove City, and Family Weekend is absolutely one of the highlights. In years past, I have served on the Family Weekend Planning Committee as part of the publicity team, and know how much time and effort is put into the events and seen have how special the weekend really is.
A student piece showcased in the Art Gallery.
One of the ensembles during their performance.
I love hosting a luncheon with my sorority sisters for our parents, and sharing our sisterhood with them. As a student away at college, it is great to be able to introduce my friends to my parents and help them put faces with the names of the people I talk about. Participating in All-College Sing, while a lot of work, is always exciting. Having an opportunity to showcase my group’s creativity for the College is so much fun. Last year we even won!
Family Weekend is a celebration of all the hard work Grove City College students have put into their academic year. It’s also a time to show our families and friends how much we appreciate their love and support as we work towards earning our degree. After graduation, Family Weekend is truly something I will miss.
Editor’s Note: Please take a look at the College website for more information about and/or a schedule of events for Family Weekend 2016 at Grove City College.
Rachel Martin, a Pittsburgh native, is graduating in May 2016 with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Sociology. When asked about her favorite thing at Grove City College she replied: “I really love the opportunities Grove City has provided me to grow as a person. I have so many deep and meaningful friendships that I did not have coming into college, and that I can’t imagine my life without now.”