By Nina Hamilton
Samford’s Family Weekend is the best way for students to see their families during the semester.
As a student who has experienced this weekend as a sibling and a student, I can attest to this event being great for families and students.
Last year, my sister was here as a freshman, and it was her first year away from home. This was something exceedingly difficult to go through with my sister 10 hours away.
This year, I was the freshmen, and I missed my home and my family, but I thankfully had my sister here with me. In both cases, it was difficult not being completely together with my family.
Family Weekend was such a special weekend for the past two years as it allowed my family to unite, and it has helped me to feel a sense of peace. This peace was both for my sister in the previous year, but also in my circumstances this year.
This weekend’s events let students connect their families with the community of students and faculty that have formed the foundation of life on campus. Uniting these two worlds is one of the main reasons that this is the best event.
This weekend unites families and is highly beneficial for the students and families that choose to take advantage of it.
Being away from home has challenges, and most will admit that not seeing their parents has been difficult.
Junior Kylee Johnson from Tennessee described how seeing her mom that Family Weekend left her on a personal “high.”
“I hadn’t been away from her that long, and it felt really good to see her,” said Kylee Johnson a Junior from Tennessee.
For those who live much further away and have less opportunities to see their families, this can be a difficult transition.
“It was a struggle and definitely made me feel left alone, but I had some great people lift me up, and I’ve made some friends. But it’s definitely hard not being with them all the time,” said Molly Brust, a freshman from California.
Family Weekend being early in the semester makes it one of the best opportunities for families to see their students and allow the students to have a much-needed break.
“I’m glad that they have it early on instead of midway through, because we have fall break, too. That’s a good couple of breaks in the middle of the semester,” said William Allen, a freshman from Arkansas.
Many could argue that there are many opportunities to visit their students all the time, however that is not the case for many families due to distance or financial situation. Having a structured “Family Weekend” makes it much easier for families to see each other.
Samford does a fantastic job of creating a community that pulls both students and families in, allowing for fellowship amongst the student body.
