Fall Family Weekend offers events, aims to maintain safety

Traditions and celebrations are in the air this month as Fall Family Weekend rolls around. Combining over 25 years of tradition, celebrating Oregon State University’s 150-year anniversary and adding new events around campus make this year especially unique in comparison to previous years.

Those who attend Fall Family Weekend are encouraged to look up the definition of family and realize that there is no one way in which everyone sees this concept, according to Delaney Stock, OSU Program Council and Fall & Spring Family Weekend Coordinator. Fall Family Weekend is to be seen as community-wide and all-inclusive.

“Fall Family Weekend is a three-day-long celebration of what family means to you, showing off our university to those who are dear to us,” Stock said in an email.

Fall Family Weekend used to be referred to as “Dad’s Weekend”, but after discussion on the matter took place amongst the OSUPC, it was decided that the event be renamed “Fall Family Weekend”. By doing so, the event name is made more inclusive for students who may not identify as having a traditional family, according to Stock.

“In recent years we have molded the weekend to fit our community’s needs, adding events such as the comedy show, a tailgate and a football-viewing party,” Stock said in an email.

Though Greek life takes up a good portion of the OSU population, the events planned for Fall Family Weekend are done by OSUPC, not Interfraternity Council. Greek life, in fact, does not have any formal events planned for Fall Family Weekend,

according to Ian Snyder, President of the Interfraternity Council.

“All events are held by individual chapters, and most consist of barbecues and fundraisers for their chapters,” Snyder said in an email.

According to Stock, to interline with OSU’s sesquicentennial and uphold traditions, this year’s Fall Family Weekend is themed “traditions grow here”.

“The idea behind that is to celebrate the traditions that so many years of our community has brought and encourage participants to think about their own traditions in Beaver Nation,” Stock said in an email.

According to Shelly Signs, the executive director of OSU150, there will be information provided on Friday, Nov. 17 from 4-6 p.m. at the Welcome Reception in the Memorial Union Lounge for events that OSU150 are holding.

“Of particular note, the scavenger hunt on the OSU150 phone app has special challenges available only during Fall Family Weekend,” Signs said via email. “With the scavenger hunt, participants can earn points for prizes that are available

throughout the anniversary.”

Participating in the events offered by OSU150 and during Fall Family Weekend is a great way to learn about OSU’s heritage and the many impacts that OSU community members have made historically and contemporarily, according to Signs.

“Besides the modern-day achievements that are happening today, I would like more people to know about how the people of OSU have been making a difference since we were established as Oregon’s land grant university in 1868,” Signs said in an email.

The history of OSU is deep and extensive, so one weekend is not enough time to explore it. That’s why OSU’s 150th anniversary is being celebrated for more than a year, according to Signs.

“We’re currently finishing up elements for an exhibit that will be at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland from February through September next year, and my wish is for everyone to find a time to visit during the run,” Signs said in an email.

There will be a plethora of events held by both OSU150 and OSUPC during Fall Family Weekend. OSUPC is offering traditional events as well as some new events this year to mix things up, according to Stock.

“We have added a Football Game viewing party in the Horizon room of the MU so that families have the option to watch the game in warmth, yet still get the Beaver Nation spirit that goes along with being at the game,” Stock said in an email.

In conjunction with the indoor viewing party, OSUPC and the Residence Hall Association will also be holding a tailgate event before the game on Saturday, Nov. 18, according to Stock. There will be free food and activities available for anyone who

wants to attend.

“Saturday morning we have a brunch in the MU Lounge, which not only is convenient to the community, but is delicious and you get to embrace the historical spirit of the MU at the same time,” Stock said in an email.

The comedy show this year will be showing the night of Friday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Lasells Stewart Center, according to Stock. Jay Larson, Dan Cummins and Mike E. Winfield will be co-headlining the shows. Tickets for the show are available online for purchase, with balcony seats costing $34 and floor seats costing $36, according to the event’s Facebook page.

“The two of them are honestly hilarious, so I’m looking forward to seeing them live and in action,” Stock said in an email.

Though the weekend will surely be full of laughs, it’s important to remember safety in a time when campus population will be at an influx, according to Suzy Tannenbaum, the director of Public Safety at OSU.

“We want people to be safe and have fun, so we ask that everyone who is on campus and off, be responsible, respectful and make good choices,” Tannenbaum said in an email.

A festive, fun and safe environment is created at athletic events by OSU’s Department of Public Safety working together with Oregon State Police, Corvallis Police Department, Corvallis Fire, Whelan Security and Athletics Department staff, according to Tannenbaum. People will be held accountable for their actions in order to ensure everyone else can enjoy the game.

“The OSU Program Council has been planning what is now family weekend for over 25 years, each getting better than the last,” Stock said in an email.