It was a bit of a reunion on the hill for many families during Big Red Weekend in October. Holly Smith French ‘76 came from Glen Ellyn, Ill., to see her son Taylor Smith ‘11, and Mollie McCurdy ‘76 came from Camp Hill, Pa., to visit with her daughter Catherine McCurdy McKeon ‘13. But for as much as it was a reunion of families, it was a reunion of classmates–French and McCurdy get together whenever they have the chance, and a weekend on the hill for these former roomates was the perfect chance to reminisce.
They weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the fall weather and activities offered throughout the weekend by the Alumni Relations Office–nearly 1,000 people, including alumni, parents, and pesky little brothers and sisters, showed up at Denison to reconnect with students who began the 2010-11 school year in August. One family came all the way from Jamaica.
All that family time is what the Alumni Relations Office had in mind when they developed Big Red Weekend three years ago. The weekend offered an update on the college from President Dale Knobel, tours of new facilities in the works, plenty of athletic events from volleyball to soccer to football, and lectures, departmental open houses, and the chance to meet Denison faculty. The hope is that parents and alumni were able to head home–be it to Pennsylvania, Illinois, or Jamaica– with a little more knowledge of what goes on on the hill when they’re not here. And some memories for the parents to hold onto until Thanksgiving break.