Family Fest--New and Improved
by Irene Kao, Assistant Dean of Students
The beginning of the academic year can be one of the hardest times of the year. Your child leaves for Mac excited and cautious for the upcoming year. You wonder how you will be without the child and start to plot for the next convenient reason to visit her/him. Search no further. Family Fest 2007, Macalesters annual parent and family weekend, is October 5-7, 2007. We have planned an exciting weekend filled with traditional events that families love and started new traditions that will make you love the weekend more.
There are many continuing traditions in which to partake. Come hear President Rosenberg give the latest news about Macalester, participate in the 5th Annual Wellness 5K, take in a musical or theatrical production, learn more about the amazing research Macalester students have done, or eat one (or more) Scottish eggs.
There are also new traditions to experience as well. Answering families desire to connect with one another, we are offering a program entitled Global Tea on Saturday afternoon. This is an opportunity to enjoy teas that are both familiar and unique as you meet and get to know other Macalester families.
We will be serving a Family Dinner, where we are utilizing the recipes we collected from families last year. Come and taste what your fellow Macalester families enjoy at home.
We are also working with the Civic Engagement Center to offer a bus to the Minnesota History Center for the Lake Street Exhibit (read more on the front page) and the Lake Street & Global Market Tour. This is an excellent opportunity to see Macalester students work in the community firsthand.
We have a new partner for the weekend with Diversity Weekend. Diversity Weekend is an annual student-led initiative organized surrounding issues of multiculturalism as a catalyst of change in the thoughts and actions of the campus community. This years theme is Domestically Global: Race, Identity, and Transnational Global Leadership.
There are many magnificent things to experience at Family Fest weekend; however, there are times when families are unable to come. We are offering two ways for families to be present without being physically present. The first is the 2nd Annual Family Recipe Book. We are looking for one of your favorite family recipes to share. This is an opportunity that is open to everyone, but can be especially important for those who cannot make the weekend. If this is the case, please let us know and we will make sure that your student received a copy of the Recipe Book.
The other way to participate, particularly if you are unable to come for the first weekend of October, is to be in the Family Photo Exhibit. We are seeking current family pictures to display in various locations on campus during the weekend.
As you can see, we are very proud of what we will be offering for Family Fest weekend. We hope that you can join us. And remember, just as you miss your child, your child misses you as well.
For more information on Family Fest and the things mentioned in this article, visit www.macalester.edu/familyfest.