Many events are anticipated with great excitement by a majority of the campus as Dad’s Weekend approaches.

The football game, exhibitions from clubs and good ol’ bonding time with your pops, dad, daddy or however you choose to refer to your father, are all highlights of this time of the year – especially as we swiftly approach the end of the semester.

For many, our family ties are strong, and they reverberate throughout our whole lives. Furthermore, fathers play a crucial role in the development of most – but there are many who do without.

The truth that is not often discussed around this weekend is that there are also many fellow Cougs who do not have a father figure in their lives for a variety of reasons, whether they have passed away, are estranged or are not actively present because of a variety of other possible factors.

With that in mind, how can we support this group of Cougs while also celebrating our fathers?

If you are someone who has a fatherless friend in their life and desire to support them this weekend, keep in mind that each person will have different feelings about this occasion.

Some will be okay with joining your family for part of or for the entire weekend.

Some will be okay with just talking about their fathers with you , and some will not want to talk about them at all.

And some would prefer to be left alone for the weekend to process it as they wish.

In any or all of these scenarios, encouraging mindfulness and being sensitive to the various situations of those who do not have their fathers in their lives is a beneficial practice.

This pays off both ways: when individuals do this, they are still able to appreciate their father(s), and those without father figures will appreciate the mindful support, if done tactfully.

“I do have a relationship with my dad, but I don’t see him very often – it’s complicated,” said senior Taylor Bereiter. “He’s been out for so much of my life – since I was 10 – so he has less of a stake in it than he would if he had really been a presence.”

Bereiter, who has experienced an increasing distance from her father since her parents’ divorce at the same age, said, “During weekends like this where there is such a focus on such a specific family member, when you don’t have a strong relationship with your dad, it’s foreign to you.”

She suggests “focusing on the things you like during these family weekends. I get invited out by my friends, but I don’t feel too comfortable doing that. However, I don’t get emotional on Dad’s Weekend, just ‘Oh, there’ll be cars and people everywhere, time to stay inside!’”

Bereiter’s story is one of many that go undiscussed during Dad’s Weekend and other family-oriented weekends at Washington State University.

As you anticipate the arrival of your father for the football game, a shared bear hug and some new memories, take a little of that time to reach out to someone who may share Bereiter’s experience or another story entirely.

Any gesture, however small, will only serve to bring our community closer together.

Cougs help Cougs – and this weekend is no exception.

Sophia Stephens is a senior English literature and comparative ethnic studies major from Wenatchee. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.