By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

If you were a student who moved away for college, you’ll remember that surreal feeling of total independence when you moved in for the first weekend of school. No longer did you have a curfew, cleaning schedule (although you probably needed it), or anyone to track your comings and goings. This jolt of freedom is just the jumping off point, carrying you through the rest of adulthood. So, as you journey through undergraduate education, it’s crucial to look back and celebrate the people who helped you get to where you are today—be it parents, guardians, or caregivers.

Brothers of the Upsilon chapter at Nebraska Wesleyan, Epsilon Rho chapter at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the Omicron chapter at Penn State held a parent's weekend to celebrate their loved ones and bring their two families closer together. The Upsilon chapter had over 30 moms in attendance and finished the weekend off with a Sunday brunch. These men also took this as an opportunity to celebrate their house mom, Sandy. Epsilon Rho held a combined parent's weekend with the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, which included “kickback” style events on Friday and Saturday, and a cookout on Sunday. President Jake Solomon, Indiana U of Pennsylvania '21, had this to say of the event, “Epsilon Rho Parents Weekend was amazing. It gave our hardworking parents a chance to reminisce on their younger days and get away from their work and normal lives and experience ‘fraternity life’ for a few days. It also expanded our Phi Tau Family to include our real families, which was very special and something that we look to continue.” Omicron had an expansive event with nearly 60 families in attendance, holding various games, a 50/50 raffle, and a Sunday brunch.

The melding of all these families is a joyous occasion, which so rarely gets to happen. Thank you to the brothers who shared their experiences with us, and to the parents and guardians who helped them along their journey into our organization.