University of St. Thomas students welcomed their family members to join them on campus Oct. 4-6 for Family Weekend. They had their choice of activities, including bingo, a movie on the quad, bonfire with s’mores, an observatory tour, Mass, a Cadenza concert, and guided painting. Plenty of sporting events, including football, men’s and women’s hockey, swim and dive, and volleyball, took place during the weekend as well.
Nearly 3,500 people filled the stands to see the Tommie football team defeat Stetson 34-24. The Tommies blocked multiple punts at the very start and scored 14 points in the first five minutes – all thanks to their defensive line. In addition to the game, fans were treated to a joint halftime performance from the St. Thomas dance team and the St. Thomas cheer team.
Stephanie Cowan, a parent and alum, flew from Arizona with her husband Trent for Family Weekend.
“It's a great opportunity to see our daughter,” she said. “We haven’t seen her since we dropped her off, so this is a great chance for her to show us around, see what she's learned, and just to touch base after a month apart.”
Students used this occasion to show parents their day-to-day lives.
First-year student Eli Gladke was excited to show his parents his residence hall, Dowling Hall.
“In addition to showing them the lobby area, I’m looking forward to showing my parents my room since I’ve made a lot of additions to that,” Gladke said. “I also plan on showing them around the rest of the campus, since it’s so beautiful.”
Student Gianna Mitchell said she was excited to introduce her parents “to some of my friends that I’ve made on campus.”
The Tommie Shop is a popular place for families to visit for extra school spirit. Chicago native Jalen Moore, a student worker at the shop, said Family Weekend and the holiday season are the two busiest times of the year.
He reflected on previous fond memories of Family Weekend. “When my family visited here, my little brother enjoyed bouncing around in the bounce house,” Moore said. “He had a good time.”
Although not all students have family living close by, international student Emma Brobakke was fortunate enough to have her mom visit for the first time from Norway.
“I was so excited to show my mom around our campus, seeing all the beautiful architecture, the new Schoenecker Center,” Brobakke said. She also mentioned how she planned to bring her mom to the women's soccer game and other events.
Family Weekend would not have been possible without all the different groups and organizations helping to plan the event.
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Marlon Blake, was excited for the new marathon cheering station. The station gave students and families a chance to cheer on those running the Twin Cities Marathon.
Blake enjoys watching all the families visit.
“I always think about the families running together, doing the TC 5K, that they're enjoying exercise together,” Blake said. "The little kids have so much fun because they have so much energy and just love being in their environment.”
