Hopefully this will be my final update for this weekend’s Parents’ Weekend!
I wanted to pass on a few reminders that we hope will make your weekend a little more pleasant. It is a lot of information, so maybe take a little at a time.
1) Here is the link to the Parents' Weekend Website. Traffic will be heavy on campus Saturday morning. You will want to be here in time to go see your cadet’s room at 8:30AM. Would you rather be sitting in traffic or your cadet’s room after having a Starbucks coffee at Mark Clark Hall? Come early or in an Uber, Lyft or Taxi.
2) The weather is looking good for the weekend – upper 70’s to low 80’s during the day with low chances of rain. You will be doing a lot of walking around so make sure you hydrate before coming and stay that way during the day. Also with all the walking, make sure you wear comfortable shoes – it’s a sprint, not a fashion show!
3) King Tides - this weekend Charleston will be experiencing a King Tide. These tides will flood various locations both on campus and on the way to campus. The high tides will be between 9AM/9PM to 11AM/11PM this Friday through Sunday. Make sure you account for more time when planning your times of arrival. Here are the links to frequently flooded areas both on campus and the areas surrounding campus.
On Campus: https://www.citadel.edu/parents/wp-content/uploads/sites/139/2023/09/campus-flood-elev-4_7_14-2.jpg
4) Speaking of safety, we recommend downloading the Bulldog Alert App from the App Store (Apple and Google Play) before you come to campus. This way if for some reason you need public safety, you can press the button on the opening page and you will be connected to their operations desk. Once notified they can quickly dispatch officers or an ambulance to your location if required. We hope it won’t be needed, but always best to be prepared.
5) The great response to the pre-selling of the shirts and totes resulted in me not having but a few t-shirts left over to sell - all are size small. For those who purchased their shirts, you can pick them up on the second floor of Mark Clark Hall on Friday from 9AM to 1PM and Saturday 7AM to 1PM. If you can’t get by, please ask your cadet to pick them up for you. In addition, the CFA will be selling some of their gear during those times, so come by.
6) Also at the sales table, the CFA will have the link to purchase the Recognition and Graduation Day coins. This an effort the CFA does each year to support their operations and their Cadet Emergency Fund – two great causes. I know it sounds like they are doing this early, but they have to have the orders in before the end of November to make sure they are delivered to you in time to get them engraved with your cadet’s name on them – yes, around the end of February. Each year parents balk at the idea when the site opens, then scurry around in March because they or their cadets sees them and wishes they had one. Many upperclassmen like to give their knobs the Rec Day coins with an inspirational quote on the back. We will make sure the links go out on the Portal and the CFA Facebook pages, but come upstairs and see what they look like for yourself.
7) For senior parents, if you come to watch the seniors march to the chapel to get their rings, please pay attention to the instructions provided by those organizing the event. This year you can line the parade field and get some great pictures. Please cooperate with Public Safety's effort to keep the road open to traffic until they close it for the seniors to cross. Also, the presentation ceremony will be livestreamed on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
https://www.facebook.com/TheCitadel
https://www.youtube.com/@TheCitadel1842/streams
8) Freshmen Parents – all cadets may go on general leave after their last official duty. Normally that is after their last class, but the freshmen may have some duties assigned to get the barracks ready for the next day. The key is to communicate and make sure they know to let you know when they can leave.
9) To keep the lines moving at the football stadium on Saturday, make sure you download your football tickets now and have them ready for scanning when you approach the gate. If you have a problem downloading them, contact the ticket office at 843-953-3647. If you have a problem at the gate, the monitors will direct to a ticket window where you will have to wait in line, which may make you late for the Corps’ March On. The more you can do before the weekend, the more enjoyable it will be.
Remember, make a plan with your cadet and stay in touch with them!
OK, I think I have covered everything. This is a wonderful weekend to be part of The Citadel Family. Make a plan, be flexible, enjoy the weekend and don’t hide the pride you have in your cadet!
Taylor Skardon
Captain USN (Ret)
