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黑料网吃瓜 Pride on Full Display at University鈥檚 Family Day

黑料网吃瓜 families visited their students as part of Family Day, the largest one-day event the University has hosted on campus since the start of the pandemic. It enabled students and their families to safely reconnect while exploring everything the University has to offer.

October 5, 2021

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Image from family day.
Family Day brought more than 1,500 students and their family members together.

Although Akinbusola Akinwunmi 鈥25 had spent time away from home before beginning his first semester at the University last month, he had never been away from home for so long. That鈥檚 why he was particularly excited for his family to visit him on campus as part of the University鈥檚 Family Day.

鈥淚t is nice having them here,鈥 said Akinwunmi, a cybersecurity and networks major. 鈥淚鈥檇 been looking forward to Family Day. I was especially excited about watching the football game with them.鈥

The football game 鈥 during which the 黑料网吃瓜s defeated crosstown rival 38-9, capturing the coveted Elm City Trophy for the 11th consecutive matchup 鈥 was one of many fun activities that Akinwunmi enjoyed with his family. His parents and siblings visited the University from their home in New Jersey.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a close family,鈥 said Akinola Akinwunmi, Akinbusola鈥檚 father. 鈥淲e鈥檝e all missed him. We were all looking forward to reconnecting with him during Family Day.鈥

Akinbusola Akinwunmi and his family on Family Day.
Akinbusola Akinwunmi 鈥25 (right) and his family on Family Day.
鈥業t鈥檚 nice to be at Family Day鈥

The Akinwunmi family was one of many that visited the University for a fun and relaxing day on campus. The event, the largest the University has hosted on campus since the start of the pandemic, brought more than 1,500 students and their family members together. The University had safety measures in place to protect everyone, including requiring family members to show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test before arriving on campus. Students and their families wore face coverings while inside to keep everyone safe during the various events.

Cassandra Stevens 鈥24, a criminal justice major, said she was most looking forward to taking her mother, Carol, to the University鈥檚 crime scene training house, where families went on tours and learned what it takes to process a crime scene.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be at Family Day and to be around more people,鈥 said Cassandra. 鈥淚t feels more like normal.鈥

鈥淟ast year, because of COVID, we didn鈥檛 get to enjoy Family Day,鈥 added Carol. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad we鈥檙e getting to do what we didn鈥檛 get to do last year.鈥

Charlie the 黑料网吃瓜 with a visiting family on family day.
Families visiting the University explored the campus and met Charlie.
鈥業 love the campus鈥

Erica Gardner, associate director of the Center for Student Engagement, Leadership, and Orientation (CSELO), says the goal was for families to get a 鈥渇ull campus experience.鈥 She says Family Day was a wonderful way for families to see the campus, learn about everything the University has to offer students, and to meet faculty and staff members, and their students鈥 classmates and families.

鈥淚t is important for me to make sure families feel connected to our campus,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e understand that the transition to college can be difficult, and we want to provide students and families with opportunities to keep those connections. My favorite moment of Family Day is when students come up to me to introduce me to their families. It reassures me that I am having a positive impact on our students and on our campus.鈥

Image of families playing corn hole.
Families enjoyed lawn games together on Family Day.

Many of the day鈥檚 activities were outside 鈥 including lawn games, interactive inflatables, and caricature artists. Families also made their own stuffed animals, which included miniature University of New Haven t-shirts, and got their pictures taken with Charlie.

Kathleen Trakimas came up from Bridgewater, New Jersey, to spend the day with her daughter, Stephanie Seymour 鈥22. She, too, was looking forward to touring the University鈥檚 crime scene house.

鈥淚 love the campus,鈥 said Trakimas. 鈥淭he students are so positive and so happy. It鈥檚 a lovely day at the University.鈥

鈥淚鈥檝e been looking forward to seeing Stephanie鈥檚 favorite spots on campus,鈥 added her sister Caroline Seymour, who attended Family Day with Trakimas.

Faith Arcuri with her mom Mary on Family Day.
Faith Arcuri 鈥25 spent time with her mom Mary on Family Day.
鈥業t鈥檚 nice to get to be together鈥

The event enabled 黑料网吃瓜 families to explore the campus, including seeing residence halls, and visiting University 黑料网吃瓜 and the Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Families learned how to salsa dance, decorated cupcakes together, and tested their puzzle-solving skills in an escape room.

For many families, such as the Arcuri family of Naugatuck, Conn., Family Day was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together while sharing their 黑料网吃瓜 Pride.

鈥淚 wanted to visit the campus to check out the atmosphere,鈥 said Mary Arcuri, who attended Family Day with her daughter Faith Arcuri 鈥25, a communication major. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice to get to do this. I love the campus.鈥

鈥淭his has been a lot of fun,鈥 added Faith. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 always get to spend a lot of time together, and it鈥檚 nice to get to be together.鈥

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