By: Mackenzie Byerlee
Features Editor
“Sibling Night,” held on the Residence Life Quad on Friday, Oct. 9, brought students closer to their families with activities for people of all ages.
The annual event was hosted by the Residence Hall Association and Assistant Director of Residence Life Willie Epps shared that the event is a kickoff to Homecoming and Family Weekend.
“This is an event for Southern students, both residents and commuters, to invite their siblings or their cousins or whoever.”
The event had several activities set up for students and their families to participate in such as an inflatable obstacle course, face painting and a bungee trampoline.
This unique experience gave students the opportunity to have fun and see their family that they might not have seen in a while.
“Sibling Night” was not only the outdoor activities, but also part of a larger event for Homecoming weekend. It extended into the night and allowed students to have their younger siblings or family members spend the night in their residence halls.
“I wanted to bring my sister here, she’s 14, and give her the college experience,” special education major Kayla Puorro, a freshman, said.
Showing their families where they spend their time and what it looks like to live at school is not something that students can do any day of the week. Typically, students that live on campus are not allowed to have guests that are under 16, so spending time with their younger family members and being able to immerse them in college life is quite a rare occasion.
Environmental and marine science major Dan Lopez, a freshman and treasurer of Chase Hall, had the opportunity to volunteer at the event and oversee the obstacle course. He spoke about how this event can be important to those in the campus community.
“This is an event that allows resident students to bring their younger siblings to essentially see what college life is about,” Lopez said. “They can come here, spend the night, get their face painted; just do all sorts of fun stuff.”
According to Epps, there were 281 siblings that had registered for “Sibling Night” this year, making it a very good turnout.
Epps also shared that he felt even more connected to the event this year, as he is a new father himself.
“Seeing the little ones is really hitting home for me,” Epps said. “I love to see the smiles on their faces and see them enjoying themselves.”
There were also students that had attended the event in previous years that chose to come back again for the fun.
“My little cousin really wanted to visit again, so I had to make that happen,” elementary education major Emily Santos, a senior, said.
So whether this was their first or final time at the event, students were able to bring their family members and have a fun night to get their minds off of academics.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity to bring your family, your siblings specifically, to see what college is like,” Epps said. “Maybe one day they can see themselves as a Southern student.”
