Siblings: we bond with them. We fight with them. We grow up with them. And then, when college comes, we lose a lot of time we used to have around them.

My older sister and I were very close before she went off to college when I was a junior in high school, but it was harder to connect once she left for school. One of the best feelings was when I had the opportunity to visit her in February of her freshman year, when Fairfield University held its annual “Sibling’s Weekend.”

As I reconnected with my sister over Thanksgiving break, I thought a lot about siblings weekend and how much fun it is each year. This year will be the last time I can go, and it made me wonder: why can’t Villanova have a siblings weekend?

There are numerous reasons that we should have an annual weekend to welcome siblings of current students to campus. First, in these times where we can feel more disconnected from each other than ever, now is a perfect opportunity to bring family together and teach them Villanova traditions. 

We also have the ability to pull something like this off. Family weekend is always a huge success here at Villanova, and we could have similar events for when siblings come to campus. At Fairfield, they have fun nightly activities like bingo, bounce houses, tye dying school shirts and so much more. I am confident that our Campus Activities Team could plan events like these with ease. Plus, there is a lot to do off campus, like checking out Philly or visiting local restaurants.

Also, how fun would it be to take our siblings to a Villanova basketball game? Imagine the Wells Fargo Center full of not only Villanova students, but their siblings too. We could teach our siblings the chants, cheers and dances associated with Villanova basketball.

I called my sister this week and asked her about siblings weekend at Fairfield. 

“One of the best parts of family weekend, especially for freshmen, is getting to introduce your siblings to your new friends for the first time,” she said.

This is another unique aspect of siblings weekend: we finally get to meet each other’s family and have a fun time getting to know them over a few days.

My sister also noted that she liked having separate family and siblings weekends.

“I like how there is a designated weekend for just siblings and not just parents because it allows for more fun with just the kids,” she said. “Even for kids without siblings, they usually tend to invite friends or cousins to come, which is also really fun to have a weekend dedicated to people that you love spending time with.”

This is the main reason why I love the idea of siblings weekend. We would have time to hang out with friends and family from home, which is not always easy to do during the school year. Having a dedicated weekend makes it easier to plan out and get everyone to come all at once.

When I think about how many younger siblings I saw at Fairfield’s siblings weekend, I remember how many of us were given mini tours by our siblings and shown around the school as we began our college searches. This could be another potential great reason to have a siblings weekend. We could draw more interest through siblings or friends visiting during a typical weekend on campus, to really get a feel for what Villanova life is like.

I believe that Villanova does a great job with drawing interest and hyping up the school to a student’s family. I constantly see parents or younger kids wearing Villanova gear on campus.

Having a dedicated siblings weekend would help build this Villanova community and unite us in a time when we need it most.