Family Weekend Fun
By CINDY MUMBO ‘26
Family weekend is finally here, six long harsh weeks of back to back tests, confusing papers, and unsuccessful labs that lead up to this moment, showing your family that you have not been goofing off for over the last few weeks. You wake up bright and early and meet your family at the science building for your first class, Biology. You drag your family up three flights of stairs and head into your class. Taking a quick look around, your peers are dressed in button-ups and blouses when the last time you saw them in class they were in sweats and hoodies but you can’t really blame them, you’ve also adjusted your attire for this special Exeter holiday. As expected the classroom is a bit cramped since there are not enough chairs for everyone but we somehow make a way by dragging in chairs from outside. Your teacher introduces themself in a bright welcoming tone, a stark difference from yesterday’s ordinary mood. After introductions, your class breaks into discussion, everyone fighting for a chance to speak, and during their turn implementing new fancy words about the Krebs cycle, it’s all an act for this weekend’s visitors. Then you pair up and start the lab worksheet for the next class. Finally, the bell rings and your teacher thanks them for coming and wishes everyone a great family weekend. Just as everyone is leaving, your teacher starts to mention the midterms grades that just came out.
You push your family out the door and head to lunch. Ugh, the lines are super long, but you give in and fork up twenty precious minutes of your family weekend for the lunch lines. Lunchtime is over and you head over to soccer, today is game day. Your family is watching you play from the sidelines and you are so ready to show off your passes and assists. Goal! It’s a win for Big Red, your whole team rushes off the benches to join you in celebration. After an exciting game, you haul your family over to dinner at Elm and heave them to your orchestra performance in the Bowld. Exhausted from the exciting events of family weekend you head back to your dorm with your family, wave goodbye to them as they head to the hotel. You finish up your homework and rush to bed.
The worst part of family weekend is finally upon us, Saturday classes. After clicking snooze eight times on your alarm you finally get out of bed, get dressed, and rush to meet your family. Tired from the five hours of sleep you managed to get last night you sleepily make your way through English and History. Finally, the real part of family weekend is here, getting to actually spend time with your family. You wrap up your work for the day, head back to your room, and pack for the exciting time off with your family that awaits you. Your family takes the train down to Boston and explores the historic town of Boston. You make a turn on Exeter Street in Boston. Wait, Exeter Street? That name sounds awfully familiar. You and your family decide to check out this new pizza place. You order a plain cheese pizza, this pizza 100% better than pizza that is served at Elm every Monday.
You’re walking through the crowded streets and you see a familiar face, your biology lab partner. It suddenly hits you that you forgot to send the rest of the lab worksheet from class, oh well that’s a future me problem. You wish you could have a short break from Exeter, maybe escape to your home and see your old friends but that isn’t possible. You came to Boston for a break but everywhere you turn you keep being reminded of Exeter. You can’t escape this place, even on family weekends. You take the train back to school with your family. You walk with your family back onto campus. In the front of your dorm you give your mother, father, and little brother a tight hug and even shed a tear before wishing them safe travels as they head back home. Your home, the home you grew up in, the one you desperately tried to run away from coming here. Exhausted from the thrilling and yet eerie day, none of your homework is done and it hits you that you have a very important math test to study for and a history paper that’s due the next night. It’s going to be a very long night!
