Families reunite on two separate weekends

Many students invited their families two weeks before the official Family Weekend so they could enjoy the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium instead of at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. // Photo courtesy of Georgia Tech

Under a clear sky, the streets between Tech Square and Hyundai Field at Bobby Dodd were packed full of students and their families on Oct. 5. The day before, houses on Greek Row were full of parents visiting their students, and the fun continued to Saturday where a full Bobby Dodd stadium was packed with families cheering on the Jackets under the stadium lights.

Generations came together with students excitedly showing their families around the campus they have come to call home.. It certainly was picture-perfect, but it was not Family Weekend. In fact, families were visiting approximately two weeks before the Institute-wide planned Family Weekend.

Why would thousands of parents, siblings, and other family members come to Tech’s campus weeks before the Institute’s planned family weekend packed with fun activities and informative sessions for families to enjoy? Why would this seemingly random weekend draw in such a large crowd?

There was no confusion about the date; the Institute made it clear Family Weekend was Oct. 18 through Oct. 21 on multiple websites, and it most certainly was not a random coincidence that thousands of students invited their families to campus on the same weekend. 

At the Institute, as well as many colleges across the country, Family Weekend is a highly anticipated time for students and families alike, allowing them to spend quality time together instead of managing hectic schedules, work and classes. The time is especially exciting for the new first years, enabling them to show their family their new lives at college in the form of an action-packed gameday on campus.

When the dates for Family Weekend were announced as Oct. 18 – Oct. 20, many students feared these plans with family would be interrupted. This was mainly due to the fact that on Oct. 19, instead of playing in Bobby Dodd, the Jackets moved about a mile away to play in the Mercedes Benz Stadium. The “Benz Game” as students often call it, is a highlight of the semester and has become a modern tradition on campus.

Yellow Jacket Club season ticket holders are able to enjoy attending a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at no extra cost as tickets to the game are included in the season pass, including this year’s Family Weekend. This is a great opportunity to see their Jackets play at the more modern  Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and while students did not have to bear any extra cost, families certainly did.

The cheapest ticket to the football game over Family Weekend was $115.00. For a family of four, including a student, two parents and one sibling, the minimum cost of attendance would be $460.00, not including taxes and fees.

Due to the money problem and other complaints from students about logistics and events, the College Panhellenic Council and The Interfraternity Council chapters came together to plan a separate “Greek” Family Weekend two weeks before the Institute’s on Oct. 4 – Oct. 6, a weekend featuring a football game at Bobby Dodd Stadium. One such excited first-year was Zoe Taratsas, INTA, who chose to bring her family to the student-planned Family Weekend instead of the Institute’s Family Weekend.

My mom and her friend came down only for the Greek parents’ weekend,” Taratsas said. “I had them come down on that weekend because I didn’t want to ask them to pay a lot for the Benz game. Also, since tailgating was done off-campus, I didn’t want them to worry about expensive parking or being able to get over to the Mercedes-Benz stadium.”

Instead of having to spend $345.00, Taratsas and her family only had to spend $75.00 in order to enjoy the game altogether, a much more affordable price for many families. While Taratsas was able to enjoy a football game with her family, she and many others sadly missed out on the activities planned by the Institute in exchange for affordability. These activities included individual college tours and information sessions, pottery painting, and a performance by a hypnotist.

“I think that because I had to worry about getting over to the Benz stadium, I wasn’t able to participate in Saturday’s parent weekend activities. There was also no motivation for me to attend the other Tech events that were put on for family weekend,” Taratsas said.

The Technique reached out to the administration about the process for selecting the date of Family Weekend, and Sharon Brownlow, the Director of Parent and Family Programs, shared some insight behind the decision. Brownlow’s office works with the President’s office to decide when Family Weekend will be held.

“Essentially, we are included in an email from the President’s office in mid-late January when dates are released and are asked to rate our top two choices,” Brownlow said. “This year, with the Ireland game, as well as a major religious holiday falling on two game dates, we had two options — Oct. 19 and what is now Tech Homecoming on Nov. 9. In our opinion, November is too late to invite families back to campus for a variety of reasons. We are intentional and mindful as we can be to provide an amazing experience for our students and families.”

The Institute had seven home games during the 2023 season, including the Mercedes Benz Stadium game, in comparison to six home games during the 2024 season, putting limitations on available weekends. However, it is important to note that the final home game of 2023 was against the school in Athens, making it extremely unlikely that it would be chosen as Family Weekend.

Additionally, Ganesh Chaturthi fell on the Sept. 7 gameday, and the second night of Rosh Hashanah fell on Oct. 4, the Friday of the “Greek” family weekend. Consequently, the administration decided to rule those dates out. However, some students believed hosting Family Weekend when the Jackets played at Bobby Dodd would be more ideal.

“I would definitely want Family Weekend to be a home game. I know that my Dad has always wanted to go to Bobby Dodd stadium, and he would rather not go to the Mercedes-Benz stadium again,” Taratsas said.

Even if  Family Weekend was moved to include a true home game, Students and families run into the same issues with it year after year, specifically with regards to a lack of awareness and information.

“​​Honestly, I wish I was sent the information about the parents’ weekend. I swear my parents rarely check their email enough to see when dates and events are sent out, so honestly, I would want those details so I could figure out a game plan for the weekend,” Taratsas said.

This year, it was clear that the student body decided to take matters into their own hands. It remains to be seen how the administration will respond to the student departure from the Institute’s plan next year, but it is clear that most students want Family Weekend to stay at Bobby Dodd.

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