Union University held its annual Family Weekend event on Sept. 24-26, allowing families to engage with their students’ newfound home and attend events hosted by Residence Life and various campus organizations.
Officially starting on Friday morning when families attended chapel and afternoon workshops, the weekend culminated in Union Night on Saturday and fireworks over Miller Tower.
On Friday night, the men’s and women’s soccer teams played against Auburn University Montgomery at the Smith Memorial Soccer Complex. The games were followed by Chi Omega’s Make-a-Wish Barbecue, where over 700 tickets were sold. The night ended with the SAC Movie On The Lawn, where families watched Kung Fu Panda.
Saturday morning began with the President’s Brunch in the Grant Center, which gave an opportunity for families to hear from Union president Dr. Dub Oliver.
Union Jaxx and Jilz played Ultimate Frisbee games and there was a cornhole tournament in the afternoon. Saturday ended with Union Night and fireworks over Miller Tower.
After almost a year of planning, Dean of Student Life Ken Litscher and his team felt that the weekend was a success.
“I was very pleased with how everything went,” Litscher said. “We had so much help from our residence life team and our residence life coordinator, Mary Milton. Our RDs and RAs signed up to help out with anything from folding T-shirts to setting up tents.”
“They are all fantastic and are such a great team. It is fun working with people who genuinely like each other and are 100% on mission for what we want to do,” Litscher said.
The team effort did not end with Residence life. Facilities also played a role.
“Our facilities teams helped tremendously. From maintenance—making sure we had power on the great lawn, to housekeeping—making sure we had enough trash cans, it is 100% a big team effort,” Litscher said.
This team effort did not go unnoticed by students and families. Junior education major Riley Barr felt a sense of pride and belonging after bringing her family on campus for Union Night.
“I love this school,” Barr said. “You can tell how intentional Union is in everything it does, especially during events like this.”
“It is my favorite event all year. It is a ton of work, but it’s just so fun and the weather was perfect. It’s great because there is not an agenda or program—it’s just families having fun together,” Litscher said.
Litscher emphasized the benefits of having a weekend like this and allowing students to show their parents their newfound home.
Although this year’s Family Weekend has come to a close, Litscher and his team are already planning for next year to ensure another successful family weekend.
Photo By Office of University Communications
