Parents and Family Weekend, beginning Nov. 15, will be a time for students to enjoy the University of Idaho with everyone in their family regardless if they are a parent of the student or not.
Since the ‘90s UI students have only known Mom’s Weekend and Dad’s Weekend but prior to the ‘90s the weekends were only known as Parent’s Weekend.
Vice Presidents of Operations for the Student Alumni Relations Board (SArb) and UI third year Jacob Milleson said as a result of an uptick in divorces in the U.S. in the ‘90s, the split of Mom’s Weekend and Dad’s Weekend was created. Many wanted separate weekends if their parents were divorced or separated.
Our view on the name change: An inclusive change for families
“More recently we transitioned back (to a parent’s weekend) because of across the U.S. our peer organizations, they have been switching to a parent and family weekend, it’s more inclusive. So, if you have a non-traditional family you feel more welcome to come,” Milleson said.
Milleson said even though it was a Mom’s Weekend or Dad’s Weekend, everyone was welcome to go and no one was excluded — not just mom’s came to mom’s weekend and not just dad’s came to dad’s weekend.
Milleson said having that name of Parent and Family Weekend allows for more inclusivity to those who may not have a mom or dad.
As Vice President of Operations, Milleson oversees many of the day to day operations within SArb and he said he is the go to person for Parent and Family Weekend. Although many in SArb have roles in the weekend, Marie Duncan, advisor to SArb, said she helps plan logistical work of the weekend that students may not be able to do. However, she said the members and leaders of SArb do “the majority of the leg work”.
Duncan said she wouldn’t call this weekend a change from Mom’s Weekend or Dad’s Weekend other than a name change. She said the intent of the weekend remains the same.
Some of the event names have changed to reflect the inclusivity of the weekend. For example, the event Donuts with Dad has changed to Builders & Bagels.
“We’re just trying to really like get as many people as we can up here,” said President of SArb and UI fourth year student Alexis Murray. “We don’t want just moms or just dads to come up here. We want everyone to come and enjoy the university and enjoy the events that we’ve put on.”
In the future, SArb is hoping instead of doing a Mom or Dad of the Year, a yearly award given at Mom’s Weekend and Dad’s Weekend, they are working toward creating an award that is either Parent of the Year or Family of Year. Milleson and Murray both said that has not been decided yet but will be decided in the future.
Milleson said as a result of an article posted by The Argonaut last year titled “Farewell to Dad’s Weekend” there has been much confusion surrounding this weekend. He said many were concerned they were getting rid Dad’s Weekend and UI would only have one weekend like this instead of two.
They will be having Parent and Family Weekend each semester. Spring Parent and Family Weekend will be held April 16-18.
Murray and Milleson said they would like clubs and organizations to know if they have events during Parent and Family Weekend they want SArb to promote on their event page they should email them at [email protected].
“We want everyone to feel welcome on campus so regardless of what your family looks like we want to encourage whoever to come up,” Milleson said. “Even if it’s not your true mom or dad or it’s a parent guardian or grandparent, they’re welcome to come up and enjoy the weekend with you.”
Because Parent and Family Weekend for the University of Idaho falls on the same weekend as Washington State University’s Dad’s Weekend this year, Milleson said the closest lodging to the UI is Coeur d’Alene.
Nicole Hindberg can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @HindbergNicole