Mercer held its annual Family Weekend on Sept. 23, 24 and 25. According to Carrie Ingoldsby, Director of Campus Life and Student Involvement, Family Weekend was a great success, with over 150 families registered to attend.
Additionally, many family members of upperclassmen came to support their students who were performing and participating in sports and other events. This year’s schedule was packed with numerous activities held on campus and around Macon, so families had plenty of options to choose from when deciding how to spend their time.
On Sept. 23, there were a variety of options for entertainment. The volleyball and women’s soccer teams both played Lipscomb, with the soccer team winning 3-0. Also, Mercer Theater presented I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change to a full house in the Backdoor Theater.
Rain didn’t keep students and their families from enjoying Cars 2. It was originally scheduled to be shown on Porter Patch but was moved inside to the Bear Rock Café. The Mercer bookstore remained open until 8 p.m., and the restaurants in Mercer Village gave family discounts.
Sept. 24 began with an event that was new to Family Weekend this year. Mercer administrators and faculty members ate breakfast with students and their families in the Bear Rock Café.
The breakfast was very well-attended, and it provided families with an opportunity to visit with faculty members on a one-on-one basis.
The Family Weekend welcome program was held in Willingham Auditorium. It included informative presentations about LEAP (Local Engagement Against Poverty) and Mercer on Mission.
The barbecue lunch on the quad is a popular part of Family Weekend, and this year was no exception.
“We were glad to have beautiful weather, which made the lunch a success,” said Ingoldsby.
Many families also took advantage of photo opportunities with Toby the Bear and the Mercer car. Several different tours were given throughout the day in order to show student’s families more of Mercer’s campus as well as the Macon community.
Families could choose a tour of the Administration building tower during the morning, trolley tours of downtown Macon during the afternoon and a lighted tour of historic homes around Mercer during the evening.
Sept. 24 afternoon was also filled with activities. These included a rock climbing wall, information sessions about various organizations such as Mercer on Mission, Campus Life and Study Abroad and a volleyball match against Belmont. Mercer Singers also had a concert that evening in honor of Famiy Weekend.
Ten restaurants, including all of the restaurants in Mercer Village and several restaurants downtown, offered discounts to families with their “VIF” (Very Important Family) discounts.
The evening ended with another sold-out performance of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, which is currently Mercer’s longest running show in history. The performance has had much success and was able to be performed to family members who were interested.
Sept. 25 ended Family Weekend with several family activities. Families were invited to attend a worship service at Centenary United Methodist Church.
The women’s soccer team played a match against Belmont and Mercer Theatre presented a third showing of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
The Mercer Bookstore was open from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. for last-minute shopping before families returned home.
The annual event had a packed schedule of events. Not only did families get the opportunity to enjoy spending time with their student, but Family Weekend also allowed them to experience Mercer and its surrounding area first-hand.
Families attend numerous events for Family Weekend
