Fathers and their sons convened at the annual Father and Son Banquet on April 4 for a night of feasting, communing, and speaking. The banquet has been a Mount Michael tradition for over 40 years– dating back to the 1970s.

The event took place at the DC Centre and kicked off with dinner. After dinner, a special  guest speaker spoke about a turning point in his life. This year’s speaker was Ron Brown, the Director of Player Development at Nebraska University.

“We try to find a speaker that is dynamic and creates a connection between father and son,” said Christy Crnkovich, head of the planning committee. “Things just fell into place … one of the fathers submitted a request, and it went through.”

“You’re going the wrong way!” was the primary message delivered by Brown as he told the story of Roy Riegels, a Georgia Tech football player who ran the wrong way during the National Championship, ultimately costing his team the game.

Brown recounted the story of how he turned his life around and found God again.

“I knew that I was going wrong way. I wasn’t happy, and something needed to change,” he said.

Although Brown works for a non-religiously affiliated college, he does his best to share the message of salvation with his players. He is faith-fueled and is not afraid of wearing his faith on his sleeve.

“He gave us a great perspective about how to live our faith,” Louis Mixan ‘21 said, “He emphasized living for God and treating it like a full time relationship, not just a lunch date.”

Although events such as this can be hard for those from other countries, or whose fathers cannot attend, foreign students like Scott Ding ‘21 still enjoyed the experience.

“The food was very good, but the speaker was the best part,” Ding said. “He was very motivational and had a great speaking technique.”

For many students, the feast was the center of attention. The menu included beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and dessert.

“The food is the hardest part to plan,” Crnkovich said. “It is the highlight of the night for many people.”

Students were all in agreement: the food was amazing.

“My favorite part was the dinner. It was absolutely delicious,” Dane Storch ‘21 said. “The perfect combination of meat, potatoes, and green beans really hit the spot.”

In the end, the banquet was a special way to for students and their dads to enjoy some time together.

“I think this is a really special event because we can come together and bond as a community,” Mixan said.