By The Editorial Board
Come Friday afternoon, Barfield Drawing Room will be teeming with parents, tickets will be sold out for Baylor football’s non-conference clash with Samford and families clad in green and gold will flood 5th Street. For many, the promise of Family Weekend brings eager anticipation.
Parents and siblings will come from all over to get a glimpse into life as a Baylor student. Many students, even the most stubborn, wait for the weekend to spend time with their loved ones. But for those of you who don’t have people visiting, know that Baylor Family Weekend isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Even the optimist can’t deny the slew of activities asking for an extra buck, or the sparse shelves in the bookstore following the yearly event.
In many ways, it’s a normal Baylor weekend — classes on Friday, some weekend activities and a football game Saturday. Your test on Monday won’t budge though, and your Sunday commitment is still on your schedule. For those whose families do attend, it can be challenging to balance ordinary commitments with spending time with them. Your parents will want a campus tour either way, and you might just not have time for it.
Whether you have family attending or not, consider that, like in many cases, the grass might not be greener on the other side. Students trying to juggle family time with their weekend studying will envy students with a weekend to themselves. Students studying in Moody over the weekend will look at the families strolling down Fountain Mall longingly.
It might be helpful to consider the point of Baylor’s Family Weekend, and that requires a jump back in time. The very first event was held in 1960. At this time, it was simply a one-day event for parents called Parents Day. After, it was converted to a weekend endeavor and appropriately called Parents Weekend. It wasn’t until 2013 that it was officially branded as Family Weekend to include siblings as well as parents. In 1962, the new event was gaining traction — and popularity. In the Sept. 30, 1962, edition of The Baylor Lariat, then-Baylor President Abner McCall shared a unique point of view on the reason for the event.
“About this time of year, students are getting homesick, so that’s why we decided to ask you to visit us at this time — to cheer up the students and at the same time see our campus and what we’re doing here,” McCall said.
In 1962, the Baylor president believed the antidote to the fall homesickness strike was a familiar face — in this case, parents. Some would argue that the original intention has been muddled by the opportunity to make a quick buck.
Regardless of what you believe, Family Weekend is an old, rich tradition that has brought a lot of good to Baylor students. But we encourage you to remember that there is always time for your family. And the wonderful thing about familial love is that it isn’t bound by time or space. Despite the distance, your parents and siblings are a phone call away. For some, Family Weekend is a reminder of relationships that are strained or destroyed. But family isn’t just those related by blood — family transcends DNA, time and distance. The essence of family is putting others above yourself and loving selflessly. If you don’t have blood relatives to reach out to this weekend, remember those who have become your family and tell them how grateful you are.
So if you have family in town this weekend, cherish the time. Those of us who are upperclassmen can tell you it’s fleeting. If you don’t have family in town, use the events as reminders to reach out. And as you do, be grateful that while other students are being cooked alive at the 11 a.m. football game, you’ll be getting a head start on next week’s work.
