The University of Connecticut’s annual family weekend was held this year from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15. Throughout the weekend, many events and food options were offered to students and their families in hopes of bringing them together and celebrating husky pride.
Activities and Events
One of the various activities that UConn had to offer this weekend was the comedy show hosted by Saturday Night Live performer Colin Jost, along with two openers. This sold-out show was held in the Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts on Saturday night.
According to first-semester student Hudson Glassberg, the show exceeded expectations.
“Typically, I am not a huge fan of any comedians, but I most definitely am now,” said Glassberg. “Each of the three comedians had completely different entertainment styles and pulled them off brilliantly.”
Remaining on the performance arts note, there was a show put on by UConn’s choir groups in the von der Mehden Recital Hall. A member of the glee club, Dinyar Unvala, said he enjoyed his experience.
“We all sang the alma mater school song at the end,” he said. “Glee Club opened the concert with a song called St. Nicholas, where some of us stood at the back of the audience and started singing while the female choir (UConntabile) sang onstage at the risers. It was an energetic start to the show.”
Dinyar added, “everyone had a lot of fun and the audience was spellbound by the sheer talent and power that erupted from the stage.”
Another entertainment event that drew in a large crowd was magician Hayden Childress, who performed at the Union Theatre on Saturday afternoon. First-semester student Lauren Reibeling attended this event with her family.
“I love watching magic tricks and it was super cool to see the ones the magician performed,” she said. “He brought on student volunteers too, which made it even more exciting and hilarious to watch.”
Students and families also filled the bleachers for the women’s volleyball games, where the Huskies defeated both Albany and Dartmouth.
Food Festivities
On Saturday, the Student Union lawn held an all-you-can-eat barbecue, which earned great reviews from food lovers. The menu consisted of a variety of southern barbecue options from pulled pork to baked mac and cheese.
Ashley Rysz, a first-semester student, went with her family and said she had a positive experience with the food and social scene.
“The weather was perfect for an outdoor barbeque,” she said. “My family and I had the opportunity to eat a delicious meal together, and the casual atmosphere made it easy to connect with other families who were there. It was a blast, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.”
Many students mentioned ending their weekend with a trip to the UConn Dairy Bar, and that the weekend’s offerings provided the perfect setting for everyone to come together and kick off the fall semester.