This year's annual Family Weekend was marked by a number of festivities that began on the afternoon of Oct. 25 and continued until Oct. 27.

The weekend events, organized by the Student Union, contained informative sessions and workshops as well as entertainment. Family Weekend also coincided with one of the Parents Council meetings, which are held twice a year.

The informative sessions took place Oct. 26. Parents and other guests had an opportunity to hear President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. and representatives from the Parents Council speak in Pugh Auditorium and give an official welcome to the campus. The morning's activities also included an open house in the Calloway School of Business and Accounting.

One of the highlights of the day was the Family Symposia, in which five seminars were presented by university faculty and staff members. Parents were able to choose two of the five seminars to attend.

The topics included study abroad, presented by Pia Wood, director of International Studies; judicial issues, given by Ricardo Hall, assistant dean and judicial officer; and the history of the university, presented by Chaplain Ed Christman. Another symposium topic provided by the university was career assistance, given by Bill Currin, director of career services, and Carolyn Couch, assistant director of career services.

Student life was the subject of the final symposia, a topic that included Greek issues among other things. Barbee Oakes, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs; Tricia Richerson, assistant director of Greek affairs and conference programing; senior Millie Kerr, president of Student Union; and Sally Sue Brown, assistant director of student development, presented this seminar to parents.

Some of the parents who visited for Family Weekend also attended the Parents Council meeting. The Parents Council is a group comprised of 167 parents of undergraduate students, which meets twice a year to discuss issues affecting students.

"Usually they make recommendations about the topic being discussed that are then forwarded to the appropriate university office for consideration," said Sandra Boyette, vice president for university advancement. The group also discussed a report on the recent student life study.

The Parents Council has two events that it oversees during the course of the year. In the fall the members of the council make "reach out" calls to parents of freshmen "to get feedback and to offer assistance or referrals to a university official if the parent or student is encountering a problem," Boyette said.

During the spring, the council oversees the Parents Campaign, a fundraising effort to raise money for the college fund. Last year over ,000 was raised during the campaign.

The next meeting of the Parents Council will take place in mid-February.

Along with the formal portion of the weekend, there was also an element of entertainment. Comedian Tim Gabrielson performed in Wait Chapel Oct. 25 and the Student Union film series showed the summer release Scooby Doo throughout the weekend in Pugh.

Parents and students had an opportunity to dine during one of three brunch sessions on Oct. 27.

Many visitors joined the students to watch the football team defeat the University of North Carolina ¯ Chapel Hill on Oct. 26. That evening, the university a cappella groups Innuendo, One Accord, Chi Rho, Demon Divas and Temporary Reprieve also performed in Benson.

"(Family Weekend) is one of the only times that parents get to hear us perform so it was nice," senior Lauren Secatore, president of Innuendo, said.

According to Secatore, the groups wanted to perform independent of the Student Union plans, so they got together and prepared the presentation.

According to senior Marie Perry, Student Union Family Weekend chair, approximately 650 parents and other guests were expected to attend the weekend's festivities.