Family Weekend can be an exciting time for everyone, especially for legacies. A legacy is a member of Greek Life whose parent or sibling was also a member of the same fraternity or sorority.

Ben Adler, a political science sophomore and member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, is a legacy as his father graduated as a Zeta Beta Tau from the UA in 1983.

“We’re the Alpha Omicron chapter of [Zeta Beta Tau] at the UA and we’re currently AO5, so we’re the fifth installment of the Alpha Omicron chapter,” Adler said. “My dad was a founding father of AO2 at the UA.”

Adler said that when he initially went through fraternity recruitment last year, he wanted to keep an open mind and not just join Zeta Beta Tau because that was where his father was a member.

“I kind of wanted to do my own thing, but I ended up with [Zeta Beta Tau] just based on the guys,” Adler said. “I just saw that my dad was so proud and excited that he can now consider me [as a] brother and a son. That just kind of stuck with me because it’s a tradition now; it’s part of my family and it’s something that I hope that my son would carry on.”

Many of the greek organizations host dinners, hikes, barbecues and brunches to welcome family members to town for the weekend.

“We’ve got some events planned with the fraternity, some dinners and of course a tailgate and just hanging out with the parents and showing them around,” Adler said. “Personally, I’m just going to spend some time with my dad, just kind of show him around our house and how we do things now.”

Gracy Slaughter, a pre-business sophomore and member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, is a legacy whose mother attended a different school. Slaughter said her mom graduated as a Kappa Alpha Theta from Penn State.

“At [Kappa Alpha Theta], we are having events all three days this weekend, but I am looking forward to the barbecue on Saturday and brunch on Sunday,” Slaughter said. “I am definitely looking forward to the game. My parents get so excited for the team just because I go here; they like to be a Wildcat fan.”

Slaughter said she was automatically drawn to the Kappa Alpha Theta house and what it represented, and that she and her mother have a unique relationship because they both “get everything [Kappa Alpha Theta].”

“We just had initiation this past Saturday, and that night, I called her and just told her how special it really is that we both are [Kappa Alpha Thetas] and that I am so thankful we can share this bond and sisterhood,” Slaughter said. “I don’t have any real sisters, so she is my best friend, and because of [Kappa Alpha Theta], she is now my best friend, mom and sister.”

Lance Linn, a business sophomore and pledge member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, said he is a legacy because his dad was a Sammy at Michigan State University.

“My whole life he’s been pushing and preaching Sammy, and telling me how great his college experience was,” Linn said. “So now, being able to share that experience with my dad, because he’s a brother, is a pretty special thing.”

Linn said he is mostly looking forward to attending the football game with his dad.

“We actually bought tickets with [another couple] of my pledge brothers and their dads, so we’ll all be able to share that together and take in the game,” Linn said.