Friday kicks off Dad’s Weekend 2023, and students all over campus are preparing for corny jokes, stories from the glory days and shorts below the knees.
According to the Ohio University website, many different events were planned in honor of Dad’s Weekend. Some of these activities include the hockey game at Bird Arena on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., as well as several hikes and zip-lining opportunities. Other activities include a Casino Royale event sponsored by the Ohio University Program Council, or UPC, in Baker University Center and a performance by comedian James “Murr” Murray from “Impractical Jokers” in the Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium.
All in all, everyone is bound to have a great time this weekend and an activity is sure to be set up for every type of dad, whether they are outdoorsy, super sporty or just ready for a good laugh.
Ally McDaniel, a freshman studying psychology, said her entire family will be here for Dad's Weekend, which is something she is very excited about. She said her family will be spending time in a rented cabin in Hocking Hills, but she plans on also spending time alone with her dad to celebrate dad’s weekend.
She said she plans on possibly going out to breakfast or dinner with him.
“I’m probably going to branch off with my dad and spend time with him and then come back to the cabin and then hang out with everyone,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said although she has gone home a lot this semester, she is still excited to spend time with her dad because she said they have a great connection.
Bella Libertore, a freshman studying psychology, said she saw OU was planning on hosting a lot of different activities for Dad’s Weekend and she hopes to attend as many as she can. She said she also wanted to show her dad around Athens because it would be his first time visiting. She plans on going out to eat and to the bars with him.
“My dad’s doing a day trip on Saturday, and I know there’s a lot of activities going on around campus so I think we’re just going to go to all those and check it out,” she said. “Then I want to show him around campus because he’s never been here before.”
Halle Breudigam, a senior studying marketing, said she plans on doing a wide variety of activities with her dad, some being OU-sponsored and others not.
She said she plans on getting dinner and then going out to the bars with him. She said she also plans on going to the “Donuts for Dads” event, hosted by the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership, OHIO Culinary Services and the Office of the Dean of Students, as well as the concert celebrating Pink Floyd on Saturday night.
She said she is excited to be able to spend time with her father and her sister this weekend and OU provides a variety of activities for dads to enjoy.
“I’m just excited because anytime I see my parents it reminds me of home and I don't get to see them that much throughout the year,” she said. “So, it’s always nice when he comes down, and he loves Dad’s Weekend. He loves being out and seeing all the other dads and being with us. He’s always so much fun when he comes so I’m excited for that too.”
Whether students decide to sit back and see where the weekend takes them, or plan a series of fun activities with their loved ones, this weekend, fathers and their children are in for a treat.
