When I first became a member of the Vandal family, my father wasn’t the most excited.
As a long time Boise State Bronco fan, he begrudgingly welcomed the shower of Idaho-themed shirts and sweatshirts until eventually he fell in love the with University of Idaho just as much as I had.
One tradition that he was most excited for was Dads’ Weekend. After he dropped me off at the dorms on my first day, the only thing stopping tears from both of us was the fact that in a few weeks we’d be seeing each other for the epic event.
My first Dads’ Weekend was filled with love, laughter and memories I will never forget. Not only did my dad visit, but my mom also tagged along and it became a weekend for the whole family.
We enjoyed the annual golf tournament, where our scores did not reflect how much fun we had. We cheered as the football team battled in the homecoming game. We chatted with other Vandals and their fathers during a breakfast.
That weekend made me feel more like a Vandal than any event before. It was a weekend to meet new people and chat with old friends. My dad and I were always close, so the separation after I moved to college was hard on both of us. This weekend created a tradition that I wanted to keep alive until I graduated.
Which is what I planned to do until the event schedule was released earlier this year.
To my horror, Dads’ Weekend was moved to Dec. 3 — the last home football game of the regular season.
When I broke the news to my dad, he was so disappointed. The drive from Boise to Moscow can be pretty unpredictable during the winter, so he knew he would probably not make it to Dads’ Weekend this year.
While I know that other students’ fathers are able to make the trip to Moscow in December, many of my classmates are unable to take part in a longtime tradition because of poor scheduling.
I understand that there are many reasons for changing the date from September to December, but I can’t help but resent the scheduling department.
Something that I had hoped would become a yearly tradition ended before it even started. While my dad visited earlier this year, it just wasn’t the same as an actual Dads’ Weekend.
I know there are a few more Dads’ Weekends in my future, but there is one less than there should be.
I will miss the golf tournament, the football game and the breakfast. I will miss catching up with some of my dad’s old friends. But most of all, I will miss creating unforgettable memories with my best friend.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected]