Many colleges at Syracuse University are hosting informational events this weekend to involve families in the Orange community for Family Weekend, a staple of the academic calendar.

Reuniting students with their families can bring a myriad of benefits such as improving the mental well-being of students and enhancing economic stimulus in the Syracuse area. Unfortunately, SU only hosts one Family Weekend per year. In the interest of its students and their families, the university should host a Family Weekend each semester.

SU would not only reap the aforementioned benefits, but the additional weekend would present the opportunity for family members with conflicts on the traditional fall Family Weekend to make the trip to campus in the spring.

Due to SU’s geographically diverse student body, many students’ families travel to campus from around the world. Getting to campus can be incredibly difficult for families, especially those outside of the Northeastern U.S. Another official Family Weekend would provide more flexibility for families who are unable to travel for the first Family Weekend.

Family Weekend is especially hard for students whose families cannot make it to SU for the weekend. Freshman Luke Helwig said it is difficult to be the only one without family on Family Weekend.

“Everyone’s a little homesick,” Helwig said. “Everyone else is doing stuff (with their family) and you’re just stuck in your room.”

A second Family Weekend at SU would also provide more students with the ability to reconnect with family, as most students often get swept up in school work, jobs, social life and extracurriculars during the semester, leaving little time to catch up with family.

The weight of college life can also be difficult for many students, which can negatively affect their grades and general performance in college. Having their family on campus can aid students who are experiencing these stressors. More than most communities on campus, freshmen living away from home for the first time could benefit from the extra familial support during the year. 

Freshman Ashley Corso said that she’s glad her family can visit this Family Weekend, as her parents provide her with needed support.

“It’s going to be a reassurance of my support system at home,” she said. “Home is not a place but a feeling, and I get that when I’m with my parents.”

Family Weekend is also beneficial to the visiting families, as many family members haven’t seen their SU student for many weeks, if not longer. Parents who no longer have children at home — so-called “empty nesters” — would likely benefit from the feeling of having their child in their care once again. Siblings, parents and other family members need support from their SU student as much as their SU student needs their support.

In addition to much needed family support, Family Weekend also stimulates the Syracuse economy more than most other times during the year. Many hotels are fully booked months in advance and restaurants have lines out the door, not to mention the shops and activities that families spend money at when spending time together.

Especially in the midst of a pandemic, the greater Syracuse community will benefit from the money families bring with them and spend during Family Weekend. Adding another Family Weekend would likely double this benefit.

With all of these benefits and more, it is clear that SU should implement another Family Weekend in the spring. It provides a plethora of benefits for students, families and the surrounding community, and a second Family Weekend will only add to these benefits.

John Hepp is a freshman sports analytics major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jwhepp@syr.edu.

Published on October 6, 2021 at 11:20 pm