Every October, Point Loma Nazarene University hosts Family Weekend — an opportunity for families to reconnect and form new connections with other attendees. This year’s weekend, from Oct. 10-11, is a fun experience for some students, but for others, particularly international students, they feel the void of their families being separated by miles.
Ruthmanie Jacques, a third-year Christian studies and communication double major, is from Haiti and has experienced the challenges of being away from family during this time.
“Last year, I participated in Family Weekend as a speaker to share about my experience here at Point Loma,” Jacques said. “I was happy to see students having their parents here to see their dorm lives, to meet their friends [and] professors, but for me, I have accepted that my family can’t come to Family Weekend.”
Jacques said that Haiti’s main airport has been shut down, and they don’t have the best diplomatic relationships between countries. She said that even traveling within the country itself isn’t possible.
“I last saw my parents two years ago … I don’t know when I’ll see them again,” Jacques said. “I have accepted it because I knew what I was signing up for. [I knew] I wouldn’t have the luxury of seeing them … [but] I’m so grateful for technology, being able to have text messages and video calls. That’s how I connect with them.”
For those whose families aren’t able to visit, Jacques encouraged them to call their parents when they can, and to share the joy of meeting their friends’ parents.
However, for students who have family nearby, Family Weekend is often a much-anticipated event. Spencer Gorka, a second-year multimedia journalism major, said she participated and enjoyed the weekend when she was in her first year.
Gorka said that Family Weekend was a time for her and her parents to connect through PLNU’s chapel service and other activities, but they spent most of their time off-campus. They wanted to make the weekend their own.
“I think [Family Weekend] is a great way to get families to bond,” Gorka said. “[It] kind of bring[s] everyone together, and then also for parents to get connected with other parents.”
Gorka’s parents had the chance to sit in on some of her classes, allowing them to see PLNU through her eyes.
“I think they really got to see the community more through following me around,” Gorka said. “I think they really appreciated the community and the professors.”
For Gianna Banducci, a first-year media communication major, she’ll be experiencing Family Weekend for the first time. With her family coming from Orange County, she’s looking forward to showing them around her new home.
“I’m excited to show them my new point of view of Point Loma, because I feel like when [I] first got here, they show us their point of view,” Banducci said. “I’m excited to show them my new perspective, my friends and all my teachers.”
Click here for the full list of family weekend activities.
Olivia Roberts