Barry McNamara | Published September 16, 2024

Family Weekend, Sept. 20-22

Friday’s rededication of Stockdale Center among the highlights of busy 48 hours on campus.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: The family of Cassandra Nolasco '26 (center) enjoyed the weekend's festivities last year.MONMOUTH, Ill. – A rededication of the Stockdale Center will be one of the highlights of Monmouth College’s Family Weekend Sept. 20-22, which annually brings to campus the parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives of current students.

The Stockdale ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, celebrating the new-look facility that has undergone a $6 million renovation following a fire in the fall of 2022.

The family-centric events will begin that evening, when comedian Derrick Knopsnyder performs at 7 p.m. in Dahl Chapel and Auditorium.

“We are super excited for the comedian who is joining us on campus Friday night,” said Monmouth Assistant Director of Campus Events Meredith McGary. “He is doing a special thing for us where the first 50 people who show up will get a free stuffed animal.”

McGary said another thing that she and her staff are really looking forward to is a photo challenge where people will take photos of some of their favorite locations around campus and post them, tagging the college.

“The last thing that we are especially excited about is a special edition weekend coffeehouse on Saturday night,” said McGary. “It’ll be just like our normal coffeehouses, but we are hoping people bring their families out to show them one of our favorite monthly activities.”

The coffeehouse will be held from 8-10 p.m. Saturday on the lower level of the Stockdale Center.

“It’ll be just like our normal coffeehouses, but we are hoping people bring their families out to show them one of our favorite monthly activities.” – Meredith McGary

Inflatables, games, kettle corn and other activities will be available from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday in The Quad behind Stockdale Center, which will also be the site of an all-campus cookout featuring a variety of carnival-type foods.

The annual Family Weekend Concert, featuring the Chorale and the Wind Ensemble, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Kasch Performance Hall of Dahl Chapel, and the concert will be preceded by a pre-performance dessert served outside of Dahl, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday also features a pair of athletic events. At 10 a.m., the women’s soccer team will host Illinois Wesleyan University at Peacock Memorial Athletic Park. At 1 p.m., the football team will play Lawrence University in April Zorn Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Scots Marching Band, the Monmouth College Pipe Band and the Red Hot Scots dance team will be part of the event’s pageantry.

As will be the case all season, prior to Saturday’s home football game, a member of Monmouth’s faculty will be featured in the Great Lecture Series. Physics and engineering professor Michael Solontoi will speak on “Rocks from Outer Space” at 11 a.m. in Hewes Library. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Earlier Saturday, the college will host an event for families who have sent not only a current student to Monmouth, but at least one other close relative. The invitation-only 21st Annual Legacy Brunch will be held at 10 a.m. in Mellinger Commons in the Center for Science and Business.

Did you know?

<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We offer a certified Peace Corps Preparation program that gives Peace Corps bound graduates a leg up in the application process.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/peace-corps-prep/" target="_blank">Peace Corps Prep</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 99% of Monmouth students received some type of scholarship or financial assistance.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/offices/student-financial-planning/types-of-aid/scholarships/" target="_blank">Scholarships</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 98% of Monmouth graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/wackerle-center/career-services/" target="_blank">Career Preparation</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College is proudly test optional. Applicants may choose whether or to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission and scholarship consideration. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/admission/apply/test-optional/" target="_blank">Test Optional</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an educational garden and 6.7 acre farm. Students grow and harvest fruits and vegetables to sell at the local farmer’s market. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/academics/only-at-monmouth/educational-garden-farm/" target="_blank">Garden & Farm</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers several international trips each year during 2-week Scots Terms in January and May. Recently students have traveled to Botswana, Greece, Scotland, Japan, and more. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/offices/global-engagement/" target="_blank">Scots Term</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers unique academic minors in Global Public Health and Global Food Security for students who want to use their education to address global challenges. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-public-health/" target="_blank">Global Public Health</a></li><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-food-security/" target="_blank">Global Food Security</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We’re no stranger to winning. Last year the Fighting Scots won Midwest Conference championships in Football, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Track and Field. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthscots.com/" target="_blank">Fighting Scots</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an active Pipe & Drum Band. Each year on Scholars Day in April the bagpipers wake students up at 6:00 a.m. by playing in the residence halls!</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/music/pipe-band/" target="_blank">Pipe Band</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College covers the cost for all current students to get a U.S. passport. Unlock access to over 198 different countries! We’ll even help with the paperwork :)</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/study-abroad/" target="_blank">Study Abroad</a></li></ul></div></aside>
<aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p><strong>Monmouth College is the birthplace of the women’s fraternity movement. Pi Beta Phi, the first such collegiate women’s organization, was founded at Monmouth in 1867. It was followed three years later by Kappa Kappa Gamma. The two pioneering organizations today boast a total of 275 active chapters nationwide.</strong></p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/student-life/sororities-fraternities/" target="_blank">Sororities & Fraternities</a></li></ul></div></aside>

Family Weekend, Sept. 20-22

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