Students and their families ate breakfast with each other and Eastern President David Glassman to kick off Family Weekend Saturday morning.

The breakfast, which was served in the Vending Lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union, included an assortment of fruits, coffee, bagels, scones and juice.

For some families, this was part of many Family Weekend festivities they had been to over the years.

Hank Kuspa, mayor of Oak Forest, has seen three of his four children go to Eastern, including his daughter Kimberly, a senior communication studies major.

He said this was about his twelfth or thirteenth time coming down for Family Weekend.

Kuspa’s two oldest daughters graduated from Eastern, while his son chose to go to Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, as Eastern did not offer wrestling.

Kimberly Kuspa, an office specialist for the Office of New Student and Family Programs, worked at the breakfast.

Even though Kimberly Kuspa is a senior, Hank Kuspa does not think this will be his last Family Weekend at Eastern, as his daughter wants to go to graduate school.

Part of the charm of Family Weekend, Hank Kuspa said, is that it does not change much from year to year.

Younger kids at the breakfast took the opportunity to have their photo taken with school mascot Billy the Panther.

Paul Higgerson, a college student affairs graduate student, did not get to talk to Glassman at the breakfast but said his questions were addressed when Glassman gave his State of the University address.

Erin Foley, a junior recreation administration major, and her mother Melissa came to meet and mingle with other people and get the whole Eastern experience.

Tyler McCluskey can be reached at 581-2812 or at trmccluskey@eiu.edu.