Ohio State’s eighth annual Sibs Weekend will be held tomorrow through Sunday with a variety of activities for children of all ages.
The Parents Association – in conjunction with Coca-Cola, the Residence Hall Advisory Council and other student organizations – have sponsored and funded 18 different events. These events are all free to Ohio State students and their siblings, said Jackie Lipscomb, program manager of the Parents Association.
In tribute to OSU’s victory at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., the 14-person committee chose “Sibs Fiesta” as this year’s theme.
“We wanted to capitalize on the national championship, so we included the cactus and football in our drawing,” Lipscomb said.
The weekend will kick-off with one of its largest events, “Late Night at Larkins.” Students and their guests can enjoy dancing to music provided by a live DJ, swim, play basketball and participate in other athletic events, Lipscomb said. Face painting and – for the first time – a magician will entertain.
The grand finale will take place on Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium, as the OSU baseball squad battles the University of Michigan at 1 p.m. Activities like the “Run of the Bases” and a post-game autograph session will highlight the day. Tickets are on sale for $2.
“This year, we were lucky enough to have a sporting event to cap off the weekend,” Lipscomb said.
All the events throughout the weekend will be action-packed and a great deal of fun Libscomb said. But, Lipscomb particularly suggested students and their guests attend the Late Night at Larkins on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight. She also recommended going to the North Campus Carnival at 1 p.m. or the West Campus Luau at 1 p.m., both on Saturday.
“I would say participate in as much as possible,” Lipscomb said. “There will be a lot of free food, and it will be a great time.”
Tim Shea, RHAC vice president for administration, suggested students and their siblings attend the “Laugh Olympics” on the Ohio Union West Lawn from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The event will be made up of obscure obstacle courses and contests, such as the Velcro Obstacle Course and Gladiator Joust. Immediately following, students and their guests will be transported to the baseball game.
Most of the events will have a surplus of free food, but for those who choose to dine elsewhere, discounts are available at participating restaurants.
Siblings will receive a 35 percent discount in the dining commons when accompanied by an OSU student using a BuckID, and Donatos is offering a 10 percent discount.
The Parents Association expects approximately 1,100 registered siblings to attend this weekend and more than 1,200 siblings who did not register in the residence halls or Larkins Hall.
Siblings, who may be a niece, nephew, cousin, or friend, range in age from toddler to 17 years old, Lipscomb said.
OSU is one of the few universities that has Sibs Weekend and initially created it as a recruitment tool for siblings of current students, Lipscomb said. She said it is necessary to expose younger students to the college experience, and the siblings who stay with their host in the residence halls are able to get a glimpse of resident’s life.
Sibs Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to show off the university to outsiders, Shea said.
“It’s a chance for a lot of OSU students to show their little brother or sister how great it is to be a Buckeye,” Shea said.
Students can view a complete list of activities, times and locations, at the official Sibs Weekend Web site at www.osu.edu/parents/Siblings_weekend.htm.
