As students leave home and travel to college, it can be difficult for siblings to stay in touch. Hoping to keep students and siblings connected, the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services will host its first annual Siblings Day weekend on Saturday, April 28. All George Mason University students are invited to participate and register their siblings for the fun-filled weekend.
In order to attend the event, students must register their siblings on or before Wednesday, April 25 at masonfamily.gmu.edu. The signed registration form must be submitted to the office of orientation and Family Programs and Services via mail or by emailing a scanned copy. The event is open to siblings aged 12 to 18. While the office hopes to accommodate younger siblings in the future, they have planned this year’s weekend for adolescent siblings.
As the graduate assistant to the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services, Jennifer Burns is excited to watch this event come to fruition.
“We hope that this will be a way that siblings and teenagers can stay connected after one goes off to college,” Burns said.
Sibling attendees must pay the registration fee of $20. The fee will provide a T-shirt, games and trivia, a pizza party and late-night trivia on Saturday. In addition, students can purchase discounted tickets for themselves and their siblings for Kings Dominion. The Kings Dominion tickets are $25 each, and transportation to and from the amusement park is included.
Event organizers hope that the weekend will be an opportunity for younger siblings to learn about college life as well as stay connected with their collegiate family member. Students may use the opportunity to show their siblings around campus, introduce them to friends and show them dorm life. Each Mason student may bring up to three guests to stay with them for the weekend. The event is not limited to just siblings. Students may invite cousins or family friends as well.
Students will check in their siblings on Saturday, April 28 from 9 to 10 a.m. in The Hub (SUB II). Those with tickets to Kings Dominion will depart shortly after registration. Other campus activities will include trivia at Corner Pocket, a drive-in movie in Parking Lot I and laser tag in the The Hub (SUB II) ballroom. Sibling Day activities will conclude on Sunday, April 29 with brunch at Southside.
“We are excited to see this event start and hope it will continue to grow and expand in future years,” Burns said.
As younger siblings begin to consider and prepare for college, visiting college campuses can ease their concerns and provide a window into college life. Organizers believe the event will be an opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of college life and of the Mason community in particular.
Students interested in participating may direct questions to the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services at 703.993.2475 or families@gmu.edu.
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