It will be tough to find a parking spot near The Convo today as buses from seven Ohio cities and Pittsburgh fill the lot and transport siblings to Ohio University students for Sibs Weekend.
There will be barricades at both ends of the lot, and the OU Police Department will be there to keep cars from entering.
Students who drive to the buses to pick up their siblings will still have a hike to reach The Convo because its entire parking lot will be closed, said Judith Johnson, director of heritage, traditions and alumni tours for the OU alumni department, which organizes the bus service. Bus arrival and departure times can be found at http://www.ohio.edu/alumni/calendar/sibs/.
The 16 buses will be bringing up to 880 siblings to campus, and The Convo is not the only center on campus preparing for the sibs' arrival, Johnson said. About 100 extra staff members will work through the weekend at Ping Recreation Center.
We will have anywhere from 3
000 to 4 000 in the doors between 2 and 6 o'clock said Melissa Toretch, assistant director for Ping Center, for Saturday afternoon. Toretch said a usual Saturday would only bring about 1,000 people.
Starting 5 p.m. today, siblings can pay $5 to use all of Ping's equipment, including the climbing wall, which requires them to fill out a minor waiver form. The usual fee for non-OU students is $7.50.
Safety of students and their sibs is the main concern for OUPD this weekend, said Rich Russell, lieutenant of the department.
Students should keep an eye on their sibs. It's a safe place
but students need to keep them with them at all times
he said.
Russell said the department treats the weekend as if it were any normal one throughout the year and does not increase the number of police on patrol.
For freshman Laura Bernheim, this weekend is anything but ordinary.
I am so excited; I've been counting down the days until she gets here for two weeks
she said of her sister, who she plans to take Uptown and maybe to the hockey game.
Ben Hughes, a senior education major, plans to take his brother to an event they will both enjoy.
We both swam in high school so we're going to watch the swim meet
he said.
Freshman Nora Banoun's 10-year-old brother has his own idea of what he should do --and eat -while on campus.
He really likes Goodfella's pizza
Banoun said. After getting a slice, she said she might take him to a hockey game and the Midnight Movie.
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