Parents and families from throughout West Virginia and beyond came to Huntington to be reunited with their Marshall University students who have been away at school for roughly six weeks.

Marshall’s Parent and Family Weekend tripled in attendance this past weekend and became the most successful one yet, according to the event coordinator. 

“This year was a substantial growth in attendance,” Michael Circle, parent and family services coordinator and coordinator for Parent and Family Weekend, said. “Last year, we had 250 people, and that was a record for me since I have been in charge of this event, but this year we were lucky enough to have 800 people.” 

The weekend was full of events for the families to partake in. 

On Friday night, there was a Welcome Reception and later, a Family Feud event that took place for the first time. On Saturday during the day, families could participate in the tailgate and football game, where there was a section just for the them that completely filled up. On Saturday night, a Parent and Family Game and Movie Night took place. On Sunday, to close out the weekend, there was a Farewell Brunch at Harless Dining Hall. 

In past years, Parent and Family Weekend has taken place during Marshall’s homecoming weekend. After years of trying to move the dates, it finally changed, allowing parents and families to enjoy their time without the extra community members that partake in homecoming activities. 

“With homecoming you have alumni, community members, student organizations and a lot of other things going on,” Circle said. “We wanted to give parents and families a more intimate weekend that was just for them.”  

Sophomore exercise science major Chloe Cook said her family came to Huntington for the weekend. Cook said it was an enjoyable experience for her and her family last year, so they knew they had to attend again. 

“This year, my mom, dad, grandma and grandpa all visited me for Parent and Family Weekend,” Cook said. “I was able to show them around Marshall’s campus and the Huntington area, as well as show them what my life is like here at Marshall.” 

Cook said she feels that Marshall has a family atmosphere that is unlike any other school and Parent and Family Weekend embraced that. 

“This event helped my family stay connected with me and see what Marshall has to offer me while I’m here,” Cook said. 

Julianna Everly can be contacted at [email protected].