The 2018 Siblings Weekend included the inaugural Jedi Knight on Saturday Feb. 17 in the MacVittie College Union ballroom. Pictured above is Special Events Coordinator junior Maddie Walker leading a themed trivia game. (Annalee Bainnson/photo editor)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Geneseo Campus Activities Board and Geneseo Late Knight held its first ever Jedi Knight—pun intended—as part of Siblings Weekend.
The Star Wars soundtracks echoed through the MacVittie College ballroom on Saturday Feb. 17 as eager participants were treated to a Star Wars evening galore. Every aspect of the event, from the decorations to the food to the activities, had been coordinated to satisfy the theme of the night.
Campus Auxiliary Services created authentic Star Wars desserts, like cupcakes which looked like famous characters such as Yoda, Chewbacca, Stormtroopers and even the adorable robot BB-8. There were even tasty chocolate covered pretzels with either red or blue colored sprinkles made to resemble lightsabers. Attendees were treated to “Yoda Soda” as well, a tasty creation of Sprite and lemonade.
Along with the ingeniously designed food were stations where attendees could paint Star Wars themed mason jars and ornaments. Students were inspired with some pictures of intricately designed franchise-themed mason jars that had been found online.
One of the main attractions was a dark photo booth provided by Blue Apple Productions in Rochester that made it appear as if you and your friends were Jedi Knights wielding lightsabers.
Childhood special education major junior Melanie Rabin created an R2-D2 mason jar alongside her siblings who were visiting her for the weekend.
“I really like Star Wars, but my suitemates don’t, so I’m glad I can come here and be open about my Star Wars love,” Rabin said. “It’s also fun to spend time with my siblings too and have it be centered around Star Wars.”
Geneseo students and their Star Wars-loving siblings were also able to put their Jedi knowledge to the test with trivia. The first person to answer a question correctly received a Star Wars-themed prize with examples ranging from a toy lightsaber to a giant BB-8 pillow.
After trivia and some more downtime, everyone was invited to participate in whacking a Darth Vader piñata filled with candy.
In previous Sibling Weekend events, GCAB has tried to create a universal theme that students and their siblings would enjoy. Last year appealed to Harry Potter fans, but this year, GCAB Special Events Coordinators senior Sarah Jane Phillips and junior Maddie Walker wanted to mix it up a bit, especially with the influx of Star Wars buzz in the recent months.
“We always try and find an overall theme that can encompass anyone, any age, gender, everything,” Phillips said. “We figured everyone would like the theme … it would be an all-encompassing theme for all,” Walker said. “There were a ton of ideas we had. Once we thought of it, everything just fell into place.”
The Star Wars theme of the weekend, however, was not only restricted to the Jedi Knight. There was a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Friday Feb. 16 along with a dinner for Siblings Weekend attendees. Additionally, aspects of the Chocofrolic festival were tailored to the space movie franchise, according to Phillips.
This year’s Siblings Weekend was a huge success, having sold around 270 tickets, according to Walker and Phillips.
“I think the main thing that we always try to take away is that siblings weekend is an opportunity—especially for siblings of all ages—to come and see what [a student’s] life is like here in college,” Phillips said.
No matter what level of a Star Wars fan you are, new to the fanbase or a longtime fanatic, GCAB’s and GLK’s Jedi Knight was the perfect opportunity for anyone looking for something fun to do on a Saturday night.