It’s that time of the school year where students start to miss their families. Homesickness starts to set in and not being able to see mom and dad every day gets to be a little depressing. The perfect antidote for such sadness: a weekend devoted to family fun.

For the families who attended events this weekend, it was definitely a success. There were two concerts to be enjoyed – Concertina on Friday and Collage on Saturday. They were the first real concerts of the year and complete hits with their respective audiences. On Saturday morning, there were smaller performances on the arrival court that showcased different musical ensembles and students. Families were able to stop by for their listening pleasure and enjoy some of the talented performers of Millikin.

The activities really kicked off on Saturday. In addition to the performances, there was a free sample Zumba class, a bag toss and a “pie in the face” station to benefit the senior class. Many students also decided to take their families on impromptu tours of the campus.

Some Milli-families opted to do things off-campus as well. One popular destination was “The Great Pumpkin Patch” – about a 45 minute drive from Millikin. There was food, music, a hayride, a corn maze and a general atmosphere appropriate to the fall season. If they were lucky enough, students got to go shopping and not worry about having enough money to pay for it. If they were really lucky, students also got a break from cafeteria food and were taken out to a nice family dinner. A large number of families also decided to stay overnight at hotels.

The major success of the weekend was that students were able to escape the pressure and stress of school for night and just relax. Things even worked out nicely for the students whose families were not able to come, many of whom were taken in temporarily by a friend and their family. The weekend was a generally positive experience and it was certainly memorable for those involved.