The 15th annual Sibs and Kids Weekend will be held at OSU from April 29 through May 1. Formerly known as Sibs Weekend, the event invites the brothers, sisters and children of those in the OSU community to take part in three days of university-sponsored activities.
The name change was put in place to “be more inclusive of our students who have children, especially graduate and professional students, as well as faculty and staff who are also invited to attend events,” said Ryan Lovell, the director of the Parent and Family Programs.
Lovell and his staff have produced a schedule of more than 50 events and activities for Sibs and Kids Weekend, including Ohio Union Activities Board-sponsored Flicks for Free, OSU athletic games and interactive projects.
“After last year’s Sibs and Kids Weekend, we surveyed those students who attended to get their feedback on the weekend,” Lovell said. “We have used those survey results to help shape this year’s schedule.”
The surveys showed that the 2,200 students and siblings in attendance in 2010 were unhappy with the lack of rain locations for events scheduled to take place outside, and were cancelled due to poor weather. Out of the 45 scheduled events in 2010, seven were rained out.
Additional changes to this year’s events include securing rain locations for many of the outdoor events, and added use of the Parent and Family Relations website to update changes to the weekend schedule.
Tresha Patel, a second-year in political science, had her younger brother and sister attend Sibs Weekend 2010.
“We had a great time together,” Patel said. “It was a great experience for all three of us: me to spend time with them, and for them to get a feeling for what college life is like.”
Shruti Patel, a first-year in biochemistry and Tresha’s sister, said she was enlightened by her visit to OSU during Sibs Weekend 2010.
“Being able to experience campus without my parents being around for an entire weekend really opened me up to the idea of attending OSU,” Shruti Patel said. “We were able to take part in activities and events that you don’t get to experience just by taking a tour of the campus.”
While the event provides insight into the college life for people such as Shruti Patel, Lovell said the most important idea to develop from Sibs and Kids Weekend is the strengthening of family connections and relationships.
“Opportunities for families to connect with one another and Ohio State are important to the success of our students and our university,” Lovell said. “We hope the programs and events offered over Sibs and Kids Weekend will further strengthen the already strong relationships that exist within our student’s families.”
