always enjoy getting together with my niece and nephew who live here and seeing old friends." Parents' Weekend and Sib Daze offer students some ... Family Togetherness Cleaner dorm rooms, students scrounging to learn their way around the library, and long Wal-Mart lists taped to the mirror signaled the onslaught of something different on campus: Parents ' Weekend. An annual event, Parents ' Weekend is sponsored by the office of Alumni and Parent relations. Doris Coward, director of Alumni and Parent relations, said, "This is definitely not a recruiting weekend. We simply want interaction with parents, siblings and the students who are here. " Parents who arrived on Friday had the opportunity to sit with students during chapel, visit classes and view dorm rooms. Allowing parents to walk in their children 's shoes has made Parents ' Weekend a success for nine years. This year, one of the activities was a tour of Searcy. Most parents have not seen the beautiful areas which Searcy boasts. Parents saw where their children spend recreation time . Visits to Frozen D's, BRock and Riverside Park replaced hazy pictures. "Parents really need to see where their students live for nine months of the year," Coward said. Other activities included a parent and faculty continental breakfast, where parents and faculty met face to face . This year, about 500 families registered for Parents' Weekend. Some of them were new whi le others were veterans of the event. Judy Spindler has two daughters at Harding, a senior and a sophomore. "We 've been coming every year that the girls have been here, " Spindler said. Every year, she drives the 15 hours from Medina, Ohio. "I love Harding. There is a great atmosphere here. We always enjoy getting together with my niece and nephew who live here and seeing old friends," she said. This year, Parents ' Weekend took a new angle - "Sib Daze" - des igned last spring by a committee organized by Peggy Huckeba, assistant dean of students. "This program is designed to be a service to our students who have brothers and sisters," she said. Under the program, visiting siblings had a set of organized activities in which to partici - pate, incl uding volleyball , basketball, table tennis, a pep rally, a musical showcase and a devotional, followed by cartoons and snacks on the lawn. Saturday's agenda included a SK run, a scavenger hunt and a post-game victory party. Participants in both Parents ' Weekend and Sib Daze enjoyed the barbecue at Dr. David Burks's house and the football game, both extremely popular events. "It's important for the parents to come back and see what's going on in their students ' lives. It's profitable for both the parents and students, " Coward said. . -Beth Smith Chris Wagley andMisti Plank sing at theMuscial Showcase. The extravaganza allowedparents to see their children and friends display their talents. Photo by Aaron Gillihan.
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