For Kate Ostrowski, Lil' Sibs Weekend means spending time with her younger sister and showing off her Marquette pride.

"I'm super excited," said Ostrowski, chair of publicity for Lil' Sibs Committee and sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. "My sister has been talking about coming for weeks."

Lil' Sibs Weekend, a Residence Hall Association annual event, lasts from April 15 to 17, said Dominick Albano, co-chair of the committee and sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. Throughout the weekend, each residence hall council plans specific events for students and their younger siblings.

On Friday, students and their siblings can attend the Basketball and Four Square Tournament from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Helfaer Recreation Center, Albano said. The event is sponsored by South Hall.

From 7 to 8 p.m., students can visit Cobeen Hall for the Ice Cream Social and Root Beer Keg, and from 7 to 9 p.m., they can visit the lobby of O'Donnell Hall for Arcade Night.

On Saturday, McCormick Hall and Haggerty House are sponsoring a Country Fair from 11 to 2 p.m., Albano said. The fair will take place outside of the Alumni Memorial Union and will include games, face painting and snacks.

From 1 to 3 p.m., students and siblings can participate in the Obstacle Course Challenge sponsored by Carpenter Tower, Ostrowski said. The event will take place on the corner of 12th Street and Wisconsin Ave., just behind Cobeen Hall and the Al McGuire Center. Each course lasts approximately one half-hour.

For those who love to play sports, Mashuda Hall is sponsoring Return to Recess from 1 to 3 p.m. on the field outside of Lalumiere Hall. In the case of rain, the event will be held in the Helfaer Gym.

At 2 p.m., students and siblings are invited to the Milwaukee Public Museum for a viewing of the IMAX movie "Roar," a film about the Kalahari lion, Albano said. The students will meet at Straz Hall prior to the movie.

The Marquette University Student Government-sponsored carnival will take place in the AMU from 8 to 11 p.m on Saturday, Albano said. There, students will have the chance to win prizes in the RHA auction.

This year's prizes include movie packages and portable DVD players, he said. Students can use "wacky cash," given out at RHA-sponsored events throughout the year, to bid on prizes.

Jessica Boettcher, freshman in the College of Communication, plans to bring her younger sister to Lil' Sibs Weekend.

"We're both really excited," Boettcher said. "My sister hasn't even visited Milwaukee yet."

"Little Sibs Weekend is a great way to show people how great we are and to keep kids participating in safe events around Milwaukee," Ostrowski said.

For a complete list of activities planned for the weekend, go to www.marquette.edu/reslife/rha/programs/lilsibs/events.html.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 14 2005.