t is that time of the year again: Mercyhurst University’s annual Family Weekend. This is a time to celebrate our wider Laker family with activities for all who are connected to the Hurst.

This year, the celebration will occur from March 26-28. Additionally, the weekend will be all virtual, as outside visitors are not permitted on campus due to COVID-19 restrictions. By moving these activities online, Lakers and their families can connect virtually while still maintaining their health.

Students and families can register for the weekend on the Family Weekend Tab on the Mercyhurst website. This is where information about all the weekend’s events can be found. When registering, make sure to select all the events you would like to attend, that way the organizers of this event can get the right link to you before the event begins.

Multicultural/ Student Activities Council (MAC/SAC) Chair, Braeden Barnett talked to the Merciad about the unique situation regarding Family Weekend this year due to COVID.

“This year many families have not been able to visit their children at campus, so this is a way to bring the Mercyhurst spirit home to them.”

The famous saying for students who go to Mercyhurst, “Hurst is Home,” is taking on a new meaning for Family Weekend with “Hurst from Home,” as that is where the families will be joining us from.

Activities and Spirit Coordinator, Sam Beckas, talks about why she thinks it is important for students to get involved.

“Just like any other weekend, this is an opportunity for students to take a break from their homework and participate in something fun.”

This weekend is supposed to act as a break from any stresses that students might be facing at that time.

There will be family-friendly events each evening throughout the weekend along with a few during the day. There will be both synchronous and asynchronous opportunities for both the students and their families to attend if they are busy during the day.

There is also the ability to sign up for the events that you want to attend and/or are able to attend in advance.

“Sadly, last year we had to cancel family weekend due to COVID-19, but this year we have been able to recover many aspects of it, such as the Rudos Magic Show and Mercyhurst Bingo,” said Barnett. “These traditions tend to be family favorites.”

The first event will be March 16 and it is a show by a father-son comedy magician duo, the Ru[1]dos, offered through MAC/SAC.

MAC/SAC programmers are in charge of planning weekend events every weekend on both Friday and Saturday nights. This particular weekend the only difference is that the events they have planned will be available for families to participate in as well.

The second day of events on March 27 includes a Young Alumni Panel, which entails recent graduates talk about how their experience at Mercyhurst has helped them in their recent graduate life.

Additionally, throughout the day, there will be multiple activities that will be hosted by the different departments here at Mercyhurst.

Later in the day, Mercyhurst Bingo will take place at 8 p.m. MU Bingo is Mercyhurst themed and gives students and their families the chance to win cool prizes.

On the third day, March 28, there will be a live stream Mass for Psalm Sunday at 11 a.m. That night, there is a special showing of the film “That Thing You Do,” part of which was filmed on Mercyhurst’s campus.

There is also a 2021 Family Weekend shirt that is available for purchase before the weekend. This year, the shirts are free for students and families who are attending the events during the weekend. They just have to reserve their shirts at the Family Weekend Tab on Mercyhurst’s web page.

For more information or visit www.mercyhurst.edu/family-weekend. If anyone has any questions about Family Weekend, feel free to reach out to Sam Beckas at sbeckas@mercyhurst.edu.