A Beautiful Family and Friends Weekend 2024
On a beautiful, warm fall weekend, Hampshire was pleased to host students’ families and friends for fun activities, important conversations, and meaningful connections.
Over the weekend of October 18–20, the College hosted more than 350 visitors, among them parents, grandparents, and other family members of first-year, transfer, and prospective students, as well as friends and alums. Guests met up with their students, explored the campus in its autumnal glory, and learned about curricular and extracurricular activities.
A wide variety of programming took place, ranging from an interactive exhibit in the Art Gallery to an open dance rehearsal presentation to a festival at the College Farm, which held hayrides, cow pie bingo, and tie-dying with dyes made from plants grown on campus.
Families were encouraged to get a firsthand look at their students’ academic journeys through open classes and conversations about study abroad, career prep, and internships. Open houses took place at the Center for Design, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, the Cole Science Center greenhouse, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the Yiddish Book Center, and the Harold F. Johnson Library, which served mocktails and showed off parts of its Special Collections.
President Ed Wingenbach and the Board of Trustees held a community-wide welcome reception, and the Change in the Making fundraising campaign hosted a breakfast to explore the ways family involvement is integral to Hampshire’s continued independence and sustainability.
There were tours of the free food and foraging sites on campus, a hike with Davis Bates 73F P15, and a trail walk and craft fair led by students. The Lebrón-Wiggins-Pran Cultural Center celebrated its 35th anniversary with a brunch recognizing the history of BIPOC community members. With the upcoming election on everyone’s mind, math professor Jeff Barton presented new research on measuring political gerrymandering. The campus was crackling with the energy of those who participated. A big thank-you to all the visitors who joined us on campus, and to everyone who helped make the weekend an enormous success.
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