For years, the celebration of our mothers and their love has been highlighted once a year during Moms” Weekend at the University of Idaho. Timothy Helmke has been a Student Alumni Relations Board adviser for nearly 20 years, and advises the Moms” Weekend planning committee.
“Moms are just appreciative of the focus we have on them, and the opportunity that we offer them to come to campus and spend time with their students,” Helmke said.
Merchele Greene graduated from UI in 1990 has a daughter who graduated from UI last year and a son who is currently a junior.
She said that when she was a student, Dads” Weekend and Moms” Weekend were combined into a single “Parents” Weekend,” and it was the one time a year her parents would visit. Greene has now attended three Moms” Weekends and said she thinks the event is a great way for parents and their students to bond.
“I think it is a really good way for moms and dads to envision a day in the life that their kid is having so far away from them,” Greene said.
She said it helps her get to know a piece of her children”s lives as they”re developing and figuring out what they want to do in the world.
“It”s a chance for all of us to showcase the best of what we have going on on campus,” Helmke said. “We highlight student talent, and it”s just an opportunity to celebrate with our moms, and who doesn”t love their mom?”
He said this year”s theme is “Vandal Mom for President,” because it coincides with the campaign season.
Helmke said the biggest event each year is probably the Phi Delta Turtle Derby, and Greene said she remembers sharing those memories with her parents when she was a student at UI.
“I think the greatest part about Moms” Weekend is that SArb has really set up the ground work for it, but then a lot of other clubs and Greek houses plan their own things,” Wil Everly, the Moms” Weekend co-chair, said.
He said the board helps these groups market their events along with the weekend”s itinerary.
“I think possibly what”s made it the Best of Moscow is that everyone can have their own experience within what”s going on in the Moscow community and the UI community as a whole,” Everly said.
Everly said some of the most popular events are the Saturday morning Jazz Choir Brunch, the Turtle Derby and the wine and cheese tasting.
“We have all these different facts,” Everly said. “You can”t actually go to everything that happens on Moms” Weekend because there is a lot of double planning.”
He said that is because the weekend is not solely planned by SArb, but that it builds a framework that other groups can build off of.
“Everyone can have their own Moms” Weekend experience,” Everly said.
Diamond Koloski can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @diamond_uidaho