Parents weekend to hold a variety of activities

Finally, for parents that long hiatus is over. They have tried hard up until now to avoid visiting their children at college, so that they can get settled and gain independence. But now that Parents Weekend is upon us, parents and other family members of freshmen can get a glimpse of what college life is like at Tufts for their son or daughter. At the same time parents of upperclassmen can see what has changed since the last time they were here.

According to Director of Parents Weekend, Eleanor Short, the weekend is popular among Tufts parents. "3,500 parents, students, and family members usually attend Parents Weekend and they come from all over the United States and the world including England, Italy, and Switzerland," she said.

Each year,Parent's weekend revolves around a central theme. This year the theme is "Great Explorations," while last year it was "Our Changing World." The wealth of activities available throughout the weekend take almost a year to organize.

According to Short, "Great Explorations" focuses on the scientific and technical side of the community, while "Our Changing World" focused on the aftermath of Sept. 11, and centered on the areas of international relations and political science. "This year, the speakers pertaining to the theme will be professors of physics, child development, and biomedical engineering," she said. Provost Jamshed Bharucha is the keynote speaker, and will be speaking on the topic of "Music and the Brain."

Although the types of activities vary from year to year depending on the theme, some events are traditionally repeated. The Parents Committee Reception on the Friday of Parents Weekend is a regular feature, as is the President's Reception on the roof of Tisch library and the Goddard Chapel steps.

This year, the a cappella group, The Jackson Jills, will perform at the reception. After dinner at the dining halls (parents eat free with their student) is a concert called a "Great Musical Exploration," where several other musical groups will perform.

A variety of programs are administered throughout the day to accommodate different intellectual interests of parents and students. On Saturday, presentations will be shown at Tisch library such as "What Does Superman See with X-ray Vision?" "Beyond the Human Genome: Challenges in Biology and Chemistry," and "Understanding how Stress Helps Wild Animals Survive: Following in Darwin's Footsteps." These presentations are given by distinguished professors in their fields.

On Saturday, for those parents and students interested in athletics at Tufts, there are opportunities to watch soccer, field hockey, and football games. "The football game is always a big draw," Short said.

That night, "Doctor Faustus," a play written by Christopher Marlowe and directed by Associate Professor of Drama Downing Cless, will be shown. The play will be followed by an acapella concert given by sQ!.

Parents and students can also get physically involved with programs rather than sitting on the sidelines. On Sunday morning, parents and students can take part in either a four-mile run with President Bacow, a 2.5 mile run with Adele Fleet Bacow, or a brisk walk with Eleanor Short.

Some students believe that Parents Weekend is designed solely for freshmen, who have just arrived at college and are still adjusting. Junior Lauren Miller's parents will not be attending this year's Parent's Weekend. "My mom attended enough of these events when I was in boarding school," she said. "Plus Parents Weekend is used as a way of providing comfort to freshmen. As an Upperclassmen, it just feels like another weekend to me."

But Eleanor Short disagrees. "Freshmen parents are here in large numbers, but we do have parents who come all four years and a large number of senior parents due to the fact that it's their last opportunity," she said.

The events planned for Parents Weekend are meant to be fun and entertaining, but some students also enjoy spending time with their parents off campus. Freshman Megan Ault looks forward to her mother's visit. "My plan is to take a bath in my mother's hotel room first and foremost," she said. "We will definitely attend the 'Doctor Faustus' production and many of the other informational programs. I'm also going to shop and take advantage of being able to eat out as much as possible."

According to Short, Parent's Weekend gives students a chance to spend time with their parents and parents an opportunity to explore the collegiate lives of their sons and daughters. "The most important part of Parents Weekend is the connection between the parents and the students," Short said. "It is important that parents get to interact with members of the Tufts community and get to meet the brilliant professors their children have access to."