Over 530 parents and extended family members, representing 22 states and traveling from as far away as Vermont and Hawaii, visited their Biola student on campus during Parent Weekend 2007. Offered as an opportunity for families to experience campus life, Parent Weekend allows guests who arrive Friday the ability to visit chapel and classes with their students, and have lunch with faculty under the tent on Metzger Lawn. Thirty faculty and administrators joined 175 guests and students for a time of fellowship and a Q&A time regarding academics at Biola. Greg Vaughan, Senior Director of Enrollment Management, and Dr. Jack Schwarz, interim Vice Provost, also shared with everyone the exciting growth that Biola is experiencing and changes that are on the horizon.

On Saturday, over 60 early morning risers joined President Barry H. Corey, Ken Bascom (Senior Director of Facilities Planning) and Adam Morris (Senior Director of Stewardship and Resource Development) for a Vision Walk through campus. The walk combined historical stories of campus with visions for future developments, and included a time of prayer at each stop.

A highlight for many guests was the Brunch with the President that followed, where Dr. Barry H. Corey shared his heart for Biola with over 400 guests and students. The morning concluded with Parent Council member, Dana Sommers, making a presentation on the Parent Council sponsored Olive Grove Park Project. With a goal of raising $100,000 for a walking bridge to connect Biola’s main campus to the proposed Olive Grove Park, parents were asked to consider making a contribution to help create this quiet space for students to enjoy. Two generous donations were offered for a combined $58,000 matching gift towards this project! 

The Conservatory of Music performed their annual Prism concert, showcasing Biola’s talented students and staff. The two Prism performances book-ended the Parent Weekend Banquet, a catered sit down meal with guest speaker Associate Professor Murray Decker sharing his story of why he chooses to teach at Biola. Guests also enjoyed listening to current and former Biola Youth Theatre students perform selections from Fiddler of the Roof and Godspell. The banquet concluded the scheduled portion of Parent Weekend, allowing families the opportunity to plan their own time together on Sunday.

The Office of Parent Relations coordinated Parent Weekend. For more information on the Office of Parent Relations, please visit our website at www.biola.edu/parent.