Me and a couple of guys from church are heading down to Crave at Southern Wesleyan University this weekend.  This event used to be called Winter Weekend and I’ve been to a lot of them over the years.  Being at the church across the street from campus meant that I could pop in to the various events/concerts, etc.  I’ve done a seminar or two for them over the years.  Now that I live hours away, the decision to go isn’t as easy.  Most of the kids in my new youth group didn’t know what the event was so I had to drum up some excitement.  That’s easy for me because it’s not just a campus visit but a trip home.  I have more reasons to go than just the event itself.  That’s not true for everybody.  So, for what reasons, outside of alma mater loyalty, would one have to go to this event?  I’ve taken kids to Indiana Wesleyan’s version of Winter Weekend(held in March) three times.  The first time we went because Third Day and Dawson McCalister were going to be there, the second time we went because my wife’s cousin was a student, and the last time we went because two of our kids from Central were there.  The trips were we knew people there were better, but all three were fun.  Last night, one of the guys asked me who(band/speaker) was going to be at Crave.  I told him they were going to be good, but that he hadn’t heard of them.  As we looked at the schedule, he just said,”There sure is a lot going on.  Are we going to be busy the whole time?”  I told him we would have plenty of time to hang out and for me to show them around my old stomping grounds.  They seem be excited to sit in on classes and Deal or No Deal.  It strikes me that most of the stuff we’ll be doing is stuff we could do here in Denton.  I know it’s the experience of being at and staying on a college campus that is the point, but I’m sitting here 6 hours before we leave asking myself,”If I wasnt from there or didn’t go to school there would we be going this weekend?”  There are other youth groups from our area going and I intend to ask the youth pastors why they went.  I’m sure loyalty will be a major theme.  What about people who aren’t loyal to their alma mater or aren’t familiar with SWU?  What reason would they have to go?  I guess the point I’m trying to make is this:  If I have to choose between campus events, I will drive 8 hours more to attend one that has marquee names and isn’t built around dodge ball, freeze tag, Monopoly, and open gym.  Now, we are going to have the time of our lives this weekend as I introduce kids from my new youth group to students from my old youth group. And I hope the speaker and band this weekend become marquee names. There may be some cards involved as well.  Besides, we all know that college life isn’t about what’s on the schedule.  It’s about the relationships you build.  I just hope the heat works better than Childs Hall circa winter 1996.