The Online Reflector

The University of Indianapolis was abuzz with students and their families coming to campus Sept. 14 for Family Day.

(From left) Wilmara Manuel, Chelsea Domiano, Lara Mann (hidden) and Mark Weigand converse with each other during the Family Day meet-and-greet at the president’s house. Photo by Annisa Nunn

The annual event was originally created and implemented in 2004 as a means of bringing families to campus and keeping students here, said Executive Director of Student Services Dan Stoker, who organized the event.
“Most campuses have a Family Day, especially during the first six weeks of school,” Stoker said. “Part of it is a retention element to encourage, instead of students going home on the weekend, to encourage the families to come see them, to come experience and be a part of campus life for a day or for the weekend.”
This year’s Family Day had a full itinerary, including the nursing lab open house, a scavenger hunt sponsored by UNITY, an open house and reception at Stierwalt Alumni House and Tailgate Town.
As a Family Day first, University President Robert Manuel, his wife Wilmara and their daughters hosted a meet-and-greet at their home, where guests could grab a bite to eat and mingle.
“It was his [President Manuel’s] idea,” Stoker said. “For him, it was an opportunity to be able to meet the families and open up the house.”
Freshman actuarial science major Brandon Bagshaw and his mother Leeann Bagshaw were present at Family Day and were able to see a lot during their first hour.
“We’ve seen his dorm, we’ve seen the sports center, we saw the pool in the fitness center, and we’ve just come from that building [Esch Hall],” Leeann said. “Tonight we’re going to go see the football game, which we’re pretty excited for.”
The focus of the day was quality family and student bonding time. According to Stoker, the event is a large one for freshmen, who may not vocalize a desire to see their families, but want to see them, and for the families who feel the same.
“The most important aspect of the day—regardless of what programs and what we have on the schedule—it’s a matter of the parents being able to come and spend time with their student,” he said.
Stoker also said that Family Day was a gap the university discovered while researching why students go home on the weekends,  so the university implemented programs and activities to keep people on campus and boost football attendance.
Over the years, attendance at Family Day has increased, with this past year hosting a total of 385 for the Family Day Tailgate alone.
“At first, the program was pretty simple, largely an event centered around the football game,” Stoker said. “It has expanded to include open houses and receptions and the tailgate leading up to the game.”