Fairfield University’s highly anticipated Alumni and Family Weekend starts today, and the campus has been buzzing with excitement all week. Preparations have been in full swing, with many students noting the setup of tables and tents outside the Barone Campus Center. However, no students are more excited than the first-years.
“I’m very excited and happy to [do things] with my parents, and [to] go to the sporting events,” says first-year Brooke Gori. Gori has two older sisters, a sophomore at Fairfield and an alum. This weekend is significant for the first-years because it’s their first Alumni and Family Weekend. They’re able to show their parents around the campus and introduce them to their friends and roommates. It’s the beginning of their journey here, and they want to experience the weekend to its fullest.
There are a myriad of events on campus to choose from, from sports games to the annual Glee Club concert. These events require tickets, sold through the university and many first-years have already obtained them. Gori says she’s going to StagFest, the Food Truck Village, the Glee Club concert and the Men’s soccer game. She claims to already have her concert ticket and her soccer ticket.
Sports games seem to be popular among the first-years this weekend. Katie Romano, a first-year who has a roommate on the lacrosse team, says she’s taking her family to the game tonight, along with other events. “On Saturday, we might go to the men’s soccer game because my family is very big into soccer and all of my siblings are coming,” she shared.
Some first-years, while incredibly excited about this weekend, didn’t look into the on-campus events until the last minute. This could be for many reasons, such as a lack of knowledge about Fairfield traditions or the stress of planning out the perfect weekend. However, this doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. In an interview, first-year Jordan Orr said she would “definitely [look into] more events on campus.” She also shares the same plans as her peers regarding Saturday’s soccer game.
In addition to participating in events on campus, many first-years are going off campus with their families as well. Parents are treating their students to dinners and activities they don’t normally experience, taking the normal college student’s budget into consideration. “We’re going to Westport, the beach and [to] dinner,” Orr shares.
Roommates are taken into consideration when making these plans as well. Romano and her family are going out to dinner as well, also in Westport, and will be accompanied by her roommates and their families. She was visibly excited when discussing her plans, further emphasizing the value that the university’s newest students have placed on this brand-new experience.
Alumni and Family Weekend is about making memories and experiencing Fairfield University’s community, and the university’s first-years are prepared to do just that.
