By Sarah Surgeoner

The annual Spring Family Day will take place Feb. 12-13, featuring activities and events to give visiting parents a glimpse into their student’s time at Southwestern.

“The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations has hosted a family weekend for many years, always with the goal to invite parents into the Southwestern Experience and provide time for families to enjoy campus with their students,”Senior Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Grace Pyka said.

Events such as the Honors Convocation, honoring outstanding students in academic disciplines, and the Ring Ceremony are a chance for parents and SU to celebrate students’ achievements.  

Several sports games also take place over the weekend, offering parents a chance to support the Pirates. Men’s lacrosse plays on Friday and women’s lacrosse plays on Saturday, while the baseball team plays on both days.

Typically,  300 to 400 family members register for Spring Family Day. Many more come to the athletic events, to visit their student or attend one of the events student organizations host.

Family members are invited to view Midwest Matrix: Texas Gallery Exhibit in The Sarofim School of Fine Arts Gallery featuring work from Print Austin. Several professors will lead open discussions surrounding the two Paideia clusters of Presence of the Past and Situating Place.

The weekend caps off its activities with SING! on Saturday night. SING! brings together many student organizations in performances of song and dance and is a long-standing crowd favorite.

While most events for Spring Family Day are established traditions, this year features a new event, Sweets with your Sweetheart. Prior to SING! in the Caldwell-Carvey Foyer in honor of Valentine’s weekend, families and students are invited to enjoy sweet treats and desserts.