The fall season is upon us. Leaves are changing, the air is crisp and the newbies at Tech have officially completed their first month at their new home. Last weekend, Michigan Tech hosted a traditional Family Weekend which is held each fall in October. This is the weekend for families to reunite and for parents to visit their children, cruise through the campus and enjoy the local attractions.
The Family Weekend traditionally includes events like the fall color tours, the Mine tours which include a day trip to the old Quincy Mine, a golf scramble, a couple of football games and some other athletic events. This year, Family Weekend began on Friday, Oct. 6 early morning, and closed on Sunday with a late brunch, although a lot of families arrived on campus late Thursday evening. The parents were welcomed at the Student Development Complex where all the information for the upcoming events, the tour guides, maps and pre-ordered tickets were available. The Welcome Centre staff was prepped for the busy weekend beginning at 2 p.m. Friday.
The events on Friday included Mine trails, a visit to the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum, a late-night family weekend movie, a visit to the Keweenaw National Historic Park, a walking tour of Calumet’s Historic Downtown for getting the feel of the rich heritage, the Eagle Harbour Lighthouse, a cruise in the Portage lake and one of the most anticipated events in the Fall season: The Chair Lift rides at Mont Ripley. When asked about these rides, Mr. Mackey, a proud parent of Nichole, a masters student at Tech said “The colors are amazing! It’s always worth the ride to spend some quality time with the family.”
Saturday was very eventful with the 18th Annual Drag Show and the Rozsa Gallery Exhibit being the prime attractions. The lazy Sunday began with the brunch where families hung out together, strolling around the campus, enjoying the gentle breeze and then taking some self-guided tours of the cities of Hancock and Houghton. A lot of families were seen to be relishing the perfect ambiance and not to mention loads of varieties of Sushi at Sky Sushi, the latest attraction in Downtown Houghton. Some of the other food attractions included the Hardey’s, The CFC and Cyberia Café. Students were seen to be showing off the grand campus of Tech to the proud parents, especially the MEEM building which is the tallest piece of architecture in Houghton and the serene sunset at the Prince’s point.
The cold evening was the mood setter for the inevitable poignancy as the families bid farewell to the students, wishing them with all their warm love to survive the harsh winter at Tech. The classes resumed on Monday with the students showing a new vigor after creating such beautiful memories at their new home.
If you missed any of these events or need some more information about such events, visit http://www.mtu.edu/success/parents-family/family-weekend/. If you have any family-friendly activity suggestions for future Family Weekend events, please share them by emailing familyweekend@mtu.edu.
