Campus was filled with the smiling faces of grandmothers and grandfathers during Biola’s second annual Grandparents Day. Held on Friday, March 26, Grandparents Day offered our guests a number of activities in which they could participate with or without their grandchild. A combination of regular student activities, such as attending chapel and eating lunch in the Café, and special activities created just for our visiting guests, kept grandparents busy around campus.

The day began bright and early at 7:30 a.m. as 450 grandparents from 21 states descended on Metzger lawn to have breakfast with their grandkids, enjoy the sounds of the Biola Honors Brass Quintet, and listen to an inspiring message from President Corey.

Golf carts were made available to shuttle grandparents to and from chapel, as well as provide rides throughout the day for campus tours. Several faculty members hosted special seminars that were very popular with the grandparents. Professor Alicia Dewey of the History Department spoke to a crowd of 70+ about the reasons and consequences of “The Spanish Settlement of Alta California.” Professor Emeritus Rafe Payne gave a picture presentation on “Eco-adventures in Baja, Mexico”, and Matthew Weathers of YouTube fame led two sessions on “Becoming Tech Savvy.”

As an encore to last year’s grandparent event, The King’s Men gave a one-hour concert during which two of the members performed a song especially written for their grandmother. Singing pieces from a variety of genres and settings, The King’s Men concluded their concert with an old-fashioned hymn-sing. A very satisfied crowd of grandparents showed their appreciation with a standing ovation.