News
Family Weekend brings Inauguration, introduction of Alex Talks
By Samantha Weeks ’20
October 20, 2016
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This year’s Family Weekend underwent many changes, the largest being its combination with both Fallcoming and the Presidential Inauguration. Since the inauguration of a new president is a historic event for any college, the administration decided that having Fallcoming and Family Weekend coincide would allow as many people as possible to participate in the event. Interim Director of Development Ellen Rainey discussed the motive behind the combination: “The inauguration of David Wippman was the centerpiece of the weekend, [making it] the most different from any other Family Weekend... it seemed like doing it at a time when both parents and alumni were on campus made the most sense.”
Both alumni and families seemed to appreciate the addition of the inauguration. Rather than simply hearing about the new president from outside sources or visiting with him informally, they had the unique opportunity of witnessing his inaugural speech. “Parents who I talked to appreciated the opportunity to hear from David in a forum like his inaugural address—they got to hear from him in a way they wouldn’t normally,” said Rainey.
The inauguration was not the only change to this year’s Family Weekend: Alex Talks were also a new attraction. Led by various members of Hamilton’s faculty in a TEDtalk format, Alex Talks gave parents insight into various faculty members’ personal expertise. This gave parents the opportunity to listen to their child’s advisor or professor in an environment other than a classroom setting, where the faculty member could truly show their passion in their field of study.
Claudia Morse’s ’19 grandmother attended multiple Alex Talks on Family Weekend and passionately expressed her enjoyment towards them: “the professors were engaging, and the lecture topics were fascinating. The Alex Talks were overall a fabulous experience.”
The last change was the creation of the Hamily Weekend Dinner, a dinner for students whose parents were not able to attend Family Weekend. These students were primarily international and first generation college students. Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs Allen Harrison explained the purpose of the dinner: “In thinking about the event, our student life committee was hoping to make the weekend more inclusive by letting those students know that [the Hamilton community] is their family while they’re away from home.”
During this dinner, students were able to connect with their families back home in a number of ways. Hamilton provided postcards that students could use to contact their parents, and a slideshow of photos provided by parents played throughout the dinner to remind the students of their lives back home.
Despite the numerous changes, some aspects of Family Weekend remained unchanged. Events that showcase student life and talent, such as a cappella concerts, orchestra performances and athletic events are historically the most popular and unifying events among both students and families. Caroline Zuchold ’19 said, “The a cappella concert was an activity my parents and younger siblings all enjoyed. It was a fun way for them to see some of the impressive talent at Hamilton and to experience