Vast, varied and vibrant

There's no one way to be a Brunonian, and there's no one way to spend a weekend at Brown.

"Honestly, it's such a great community event," said David Silvey, who traveled from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to visit his nephew, Brown sophomore Eric Ericson. "You get to see the campus, meet the students, go to all these different things… it kind of brings me back to when I was in school."

Silvey said he and the rest of Ericson's family - his mom, dad and aunt - were keeping an open mind and schedule throughout the weekend, with no set agenda - except one of the three a cappella performances held Friday night.

"This kid came up to us and said, 'We do a cappella really well here at Brown,'" Silvey said. "So, I said, 'Heck yeah, we're going.'"

Students also performed at the Lindemann Performing Arts Center, where multiple comedy groups took the stage with original skits, stand-up routines and improvisational sketches inspired by audience suggestions. Brown music faculty debuted their new works in an orchestra concert, and later in the night, the College Green transformed into a dancefloor, with guests donning headphones to jam out to a silent disco.

A spate of Saturday morning wellness offerings like yoga, guided meditation and stretching, and acupuncture helped attendees recharge ahead of a thrilling Saturday football victory for the Bears against Cornell, with Brown topping its competitor 23-21 at Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium.

All of that was followed by the sights and sounds of the city's renowned WaterFire on Saturday evening. Launched in the mid-1990s by Brown Class of 1975 graduate Barnaby Evans, WaterFire is award-winning cultural experience that has been acclaimed by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence's renaissance - and Saturday was no exception.

Along the Providence River, the city thrummed to the beat of Brown and RISD's Gendo Taiko drummers and several performances from student music and dance groups, and visitors peered into the night sky through LunaSCOPE 's many telescopes. When it came time for WaterFire's full lighting, nearly 20 Brown staff members carried torches, illuminating the river from both land and water.

Across from the bonfires, a different kind of light was on display. Luminarias lined Steeple Street, each candle lit in honor of a loved one affected by cancer. The display was in support of the work of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown to improve cancer care in Rhode Island and across the world through research and treatment.

The luminaria display, much like other events held throughout Family Weekend, lent students, parents and family members an opportunity to reflect on the past while looking toward the future.

Gavin Schilling, a member of the Class of 2025.5, said that having his parents visit Providence from Chicago for the first time since his first year at Brown helped "put everything into perspective."

"You can get so in your head about classes and clubs and activities and just the whole hustle and bustle of school," Schilling said. "But this is a great reminder of home - that there's life after Brown. It's just so nice. I've missed them a lot."

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