Story by Emily Williams, Contributing writer
Murray State will welcome Racer families Sept. 23-25, giving students the opportunity to include their families in a campus-wide surge of Racer pride through various family-centered, fun-filled events across campus.
According to the Murray State 2016 Family Weekend schedule, students and their families will have the opportunity to attend events such as the Mr. MSU Pageant, a free family picnic in the Quad, a fall fanfare concert in Lovett and a football game as the Racers take on Southeast Missouri State at Roy Stewart Stadium Saturday night.
Millie Wade, freshman from Paducah, Kentucky, and member of the Racer Band, said her parents will be coming in for the occasion.
“It will be good for the parents to be able to come and see what we’ve been up to and that we are actually still in one piece and that we’re surviving,” Wade said.
Wade, who plays in the flute ensemble, said she is most excited for the opportunity to play with her ensemble in the fall fanfare concert and to see what other ensembles have been working on as they have been preparing for the event.
“A lot of the ensembles will be playing a concert, so I’m happy to be able to play what we’ve been working on for so many weeks,” Wade said. “I’m really just excited to be a part of this community. Murray has really started to grow on me and I really like it. Everyone is so nice here. Like, everyone’s holding the door open for other people. It just makes me happy.”
Megan Downey, junior from Ashland, Kentucky, said she is most excited to see her family and to have the opportunity to show them around some of her favorite spots in Murray, go to the family picnic in the Quad and to go to the football game with them.
“I think it’s awesome that we have Family Weekend,” Downey said. “ I think it just really helps make Murray State a more family-oriented community, and I am super excited for my family to come.”
Aside from larger events of the weekend, the Wellness Center will be open to families, the Curris Center Theater will be showing an international film, there will be a campus ministry party in the Springer Hall side lawn and the Clara M. Eagle Art Gallery will be holding exhibits, free of charge.
According to Murray State’s online family weekend page, families planning to attend the event must register and pay a $20 fee which will cover the cost of up to six football tickets, meals throughout the weekend and additional entertainment.
Parents have the option of registering online but walk-up registrations will also be welcomed on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Curris Center.