After one year without Quinnipiac University families allowed on campus, Bobcat Weekend returned this past weekend for students, families and alumni to participate in a weekend full of activities.

This year, families had to pay between $50 and $100 to attend the weekend’s events, but that didn’t stop them from coming to experience what life is like on campus.

Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett said he was glad to see so many family members on campus for the first time since the pandemic.

“It’s great to see 3,000 parents and alums back to campus, really showing their love and care for their student but also for them to experience what their students hopefully are experiencing day in and day out,” Ellett said.

There were activities such as a family Halloween picnic, alumni tailgate, games on the quad and athletic events including a women’s volleyball game, men’s soccer game and men’s ice hockey game.

Both first-year and second-year students experienced Bobcat weekend for the first time this year. Some students like second-year Julia Jastrzembski, were excited to bring their families here.

“It feels really nice. I’m happy that everyone was able to experience it given COVID and no one got to see it last year, so I’m just happy that they get to see my life and what I do every day and where I am,” Jastrzembski said.

Student leaders also got the opportunity to showcase their organizations and reconnect with alumni. The Executive Director of QTHON Marley McClure felt lucky to catch up with some of the club’s alumni.

“We had a couple of alumni from QTHON come up so it was really nice to see their face again and hear their experience, you know where they are today so it was really nice to have alumni come up to us and talk to us,” McClure said.

Many family members were also happy to be on campus and experience life the way their students have been thus far in the semester.

“We’re just so honored to be here, we couldn’t come last year so we’re just really excited to see Julia in her happy place and meet her friends and everyone’s been just so wonderful and it’s a great experience,” Elizabeth Lynch, Jacstrzembski’s aunt, said.

Some students like Sydney Handler, a second-year public relations major, believe this tradition has the ability to bring the Quinnipiac community together.

“I think it definitely adds more of a sense of community having my parents more involved in knowing what’s really going on so they get more of the experience as well,” Handler said.

This weekend marks the first time in over a year that Quinnipiac families, students, faculty members and alumni came together to celebrate what it truly means to be a bobcat.

Follow @Vanessa_blasii
Follow @q30news