The overlap of Halloween weekend and Dads Weekend has students planning to celebrate Halloween with their fathers. 

Anthony Pulido, senior in ACES, hopes that Dads Weekend being on Halloween will not prevent him and his dad from going out.

Pulido said that having Dads Weekend on the same weekend as Halloween, while still being in a pandemic, is a bad idea. 

“I think you’re asking for way more trouble than like you should be,” Pulido said. “Halloween is already a big weekend here on campus, and a lot of people from the city or nearby come by to visit, and now you’re bringing in more people that don’t attend campus, who maybe don’t get tested how we do.”

Before this year, the last Dads Weekend was Pulido’s sophomore year where his fraternity at the time, Kappa Delta Rho, had planned activities for fathers to do with their sons. The fraternity lost their house during the pandemic.

His sophomore year, Pulido said he felt Dads Weekend was much more centered on having fun, without having to worry about catching COVID-19.

While no longer in the fraternity, Pulido said he still intends to spend a lot of one-on-one time with his father this Dads Weekend, even if they don’t go out.

Working as the student manager for the girl’s softball team and playing club baseball at the University has not left Pulido with much time to visit home, Pulido said. 

Pulido said he hopes the weekend after Dads Weekend he will have the time to visit home for the first time since he started school.

“Remembering to call your dad is important because he misses you,” Pulido said.

Andrew Jordan, freshman in DGS, plans to participate in planned father and son activities as part of his fraternity, Theta Xi. 

Jordan considers himself close with his dad, who went back to college years after dropping out in order to spend more time with and provide for his family.

“I really feel like he’s someone I can trust with anything and someone who I can always go to if I need anything,” Jordan said. 

Despite the continued pandemic, Jordan’s dad, Aron Jordan, feels as though the safety precautions the University has taken are enough to ensure his health is protected.

“I wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to hang out with my son,” Aron Jordan said.

The fraternity has planned a dinner on Friday with the dads, as well as a tailgate on Saturday for the football game against the Rutgers. Jordan said they also plan to play games, such as bags and beer die, at the house.

“I’m looking forward to tailgating with him and just really enjoying the game and spending some quality time since I don’t really get to see him as often as I used to,” Jordan said.

Jordan has consumed alcohol with his father in the past and therefore does not consider drinking with his father to be strange.

In contrast, Romina Greco, freshman in FAA, has planned to stray away from drinking with her father.

Greco considers herself close with her dad, however, she said she has been too busy to visit home since she arrived at the University. Dads Weekend will be the first time seeing her dad since she left for college.

As a previous member of the track and cross country team at her high school, Greco grew up going on runs with her dad.

“He always went to my sports games… I hung out with my dad a lot,” Greco said.

As a way to recreate activities she did with her dad when she was younger, Greco plans to attend the 5k run occurring that weekend.

Greco said she also wanted to show her father her life as a college student by showing him her dorm, restaurants on Green Street and the dining halls on campus. 

Jahaira Bustos, sophomore in AHS, said because of COVID-19, she will be experiencing many college activities for the first time, including Dads Weekend.

Bustos said she felt the pandemic allowed for a smoother transition to college, however, she regrets missing out on a lot of firsts that freshmen are experiencing this year alongside her.

“I had my first tailgate maybe three weeks ago,” Bustos said. “First football game, first time going to a building, you know, it’s a little crazy to think that I’m already almost done with half of my sophomore year.”

Despite the lack of activities available during her first year at the University, she said she is excited to try new activities with her dad. She said one of the activities she is most excited to do with her dad is to go out to bars and participate in tailgating. 

“I feel like my dad would enjoy it a lot … I think it would be such a good experience considering he hasn’t been to the college town bar,” Bustos said.

Bustos said she is excited to see her dad, as she doesn’t get to visit home often.

Seeing that the pandemic prevented there from being a Dads Weekend last year, Bustos said she hopes her dad will enjoy his experience at the University enough to come again.

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