With the academic year off to a great start, Wittenberg University prepares to welcome parents, siblings, alumni and friends to its annual Family Weekend celebration, scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Sept. 25-27. A variety of events are scheduled throughout the weekend to appeal to every interest and age group.
Registration begins at 11 a.m. Friday, at the Benham-Pence Student Center, where guests will pick up schedules, maps and information for the weekend. A couple of early options include a horse-drawn wagon tour of Ferncliff Cemetery & Arboretum and a women's soccer game against Wilmington College at Edwards-Maurer Field at 7:30 p.m.
The annual Wittenberg Choir Variety Show begins at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, in 300 Krieg Hall. The production features solos, duets, ensembles, dance and production numbers that demonstrate the variety of talents of its members. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Proceeds support the Wittenberg Choir Tour in the spring.
Also on both Friday and Saturday nights, Associate Professor of Physics Dan Fleisch will share his love and expertise of the night sky with guests as they view the heavens through Wittenberg's telescope, one of the largest refractive telescopes in Ohio. Viewing starts at 9 p.m. (weather permitting) each night at Weaver Observatory.
On Saturday, President Mark H. Erickson will be on hand from 10-11 a.m. to greet families as he hosts a coffee in room 105 of the Joseph C. Shouvlin Center for Lifelong Learning.
Agora, a Wittenberg tradition featuring a henna design artist, caricaturist, the Fair Trade Fair (handcrafted jewelry, house wares and gifts made by skilled craftspeople in developing regions of the world, along with Fair Trade teas and soup mixes) farmer's market and more, is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Alumni Way.
At 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., the Department of Theatre and Dance presents its First-Year Students' Showcase titled "Night and Day" in Ness Family Auditorium in Hollenbeck Hall. The showcase, which includes scenes and songs from contemporary and classic works, is free and open to the public.
The showcase is directed by Jean Howat Berry, Wittenberg class of 1983, with assistance from stage manager Hannah Blechman, class of 2012 from Fairfax Station, Va.; scenic and lighting designer Paden Frank, class of 2010 from Groveport, Ohio,; and Noah Berry, drums. First-year students performing include Sarah Fickling from Havertown, Pa.; Katrina Eldred from Eagle River, Ark.; Sasha Weinsz from North Canton, Ohio; Becca Perlman from Cincinnati, Ohio; Meredith Troy from Cincinnati, Ohio; Heepke Wendroth from Lexington, Ky.; Krissy Hartman from Strongsville, Ohio; Eric Werner from Cincinnati, Ohio; and Alyssa Michaud from Westlake, Ohio.
In addition to soccer and field hockey games earlier in the day, the Department of Athletics will host Community Night, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Edwards-Maurer Field. The event includes the annual garage sale of genuine-retired Wittenberg athletic wear, pregame activities for young children before kick-off at 7 p.m., entertainment by local high school bands and a food drive benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank organized by Wittenberg's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Youth football players receive free admission and a complementary hot dog and drink if they wear their jersey to the game. Parents of youth football players receive admission at the reduced price of $5.
Youth football players who perform best in the pregame practice will be invited to participate in a halftime obstacle course challenge, with exciting prizes on the line. Following the game, Tiger football players will be available to sign a photo that all youth players will receive upon entry.
Family Weekend comes to a close following Sunday worship services, which begin at 11 a.m. in Wittenberg's historic Weaver Chapel.
