Photo by Hilary Padavan
BY HALLIE KEIPER
Drake students will have the opportunity to host their siblings for a year, yet they only visit for one weekend.
Siblings Weekend, one of Drake’s many traditions, has the theme ‘A Year with Your Sibs’ this year, showcasing events that represent holidays and parts of the year that many students are not able to share with their siblings after leaving for college. The event is open to all students for the weekend of April 6 through April 8.
Mariana Martens, a lead coordinator of the event, praises this affordable and fun weekend.
“I think it’s really important for students to include their siblings in their educational experience,” Martens said. “It’s a great way for them to show their siblings around Drake, show their siblings around Des Moines and just enjoy a weekend with them before the craziness of the end of the year starts.”
Around 30 siblings of Drake students are registered for the weekend, though Martens said that, on average, Drake hosts anywhere from 40-60 siblings and will always welcome more.
Siblings Weekend is also open to siblings of all ages, though most are younger than their siblings at Drake. One student, first-year Anna Gabalski, believes that these younger siblings are who the event is designed for.
“Siblings Weekend is for all ages, but I feel like we’re gonna target it more towards younger siblings,” Gabalski said. “I think, though, that it’s also cool for older siblings to come back too because it’s like they can revisit college.”
Gabalski has a twin brother who attends Iowa State University. Though he is near enough to make the trip, Gabalski noted the difficulty of bringing a sibling to campus who is also enrolled in college full-time.
“I mean, he’s a really busy dude, and he’s got a lot going on,” she said. “It just would be hard.”
Gabalski did note, however, that this event is unique because her brother’s university does not offer any similar events, besides some family weekends through specific sororities or fraternities.
For students who are able to bring their sibling to campus for the event, Martens said that it is very affordable and simple to do so.
“It costs just $20 a sibling, and that pays for their meal tickets so they can eat the whole weekend, tickets for the (Carbondale) softball game, as well as a free T-shirt for them and their sibling,” she said.
All activities put on by RHA for the event are free for the students and their sibling(s) as well, with a D+ improv show, various residence hall activities and the movie Coco at Free Movie Friday as some of the weekend’s event highlights. Transportation is not provided.
For more information on Siblings Weekend, visit Drake University RHA’s Facebook page.
