During a weekend known for football, junior Austin Karstetter looks forward to something simpler – hanging out with his old man.
“Just relaxing, having a burger or something like that, and just mingling with all my friends and their parents,” Karstetter said, mentioning he and his dad plan on attending a fraternity barbecue over the weekend.
In the first event weekend of the school year, Vandal Dads will fill campus this weekend, catching up with their children, tailgating and taking part in university events on and off campus.
Karstetter, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, said his dad is often busy running an orchard in Central Washington, so he always looks forward to some father-son time.
“It”s really awesome just to spend time with him, because every time I go home he”s always working,” Karstetter said.
During the week, Karstetter said they often go out to dinner, tailgate outside the Kibbie Dome and watch the football game over the weekend. He said they have also made a habit of attending many University of Idaho Dads” Weekend events, and plan on attending the Moscow Block Party and the beer tasting event this year.
Karstetter is also an executive board member on the Student Alumni Relations Board, which oversees the Dads” Weekend events.
When Dads” Weekend rolled around his freshman year, Karstetter said he couldn”t wait to see his dad again. He said the event weekend is placed at the perfect time in the school year.
Senior Joe Cardona knows the feeling.
“You don”t see them for months at a time – you don”t really think about it – but when you see them you”re like “Man, I was homesick,”” Cardona said.
For many freshmen like Hunter Funk, it”ll be the first time seeing their parents since they were dropped off at UI.
Funk said she”s excited to spend time with both her grandparents and parents, who are visiting Moscow for the weekend.
“So it”s like a huge family reunion up in Moscow,” Funk said.
Funk, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said she”s looking forward to introducing her dad to her friends, and getting them to see where her sarcasm comes from.
She said she enjoys the family-orientated college environment and can”t wait to cheer on the Vandals during the Saturday home game in the Kibbie Dome.
Although Cardona”s dad is not making the trip to Moscow this year, he said spending quality time with his dad over past Dads” Weekends was always a great experience.
Cardona, who is a member of Phi Kappa Tau, said it”s great to hang out with the dads in a non-formal setting and hear old stories from their college days.
He said the weekend is also a good time for dads to let loose a little and have a good time.
In fact, Cardona said seeing his dad let loose is one of his favorite parts of the weekend.
“That”s my best memory from Dads” Weekend is cause I saw my dad shotgun a beer with me,” Cardona said.
In general, Karstetter said Dads” Weekend allows students to include their parents in their university life by introducing them to their friends and showing them where they live.
“They get to see who you”re kind of hanging out with and how you”ve kind of grown,” he said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ryantarinelli