Parents' Weekend anticipates 3,000 family members
Nearly 3,000 family members are expected to attend the annual Stanford University Parents' Weekend, Feb. 24-25. The event, sponsored by the Office of the President and Provost and coordinated by the Office of University Communications, is designed to give parents of undergraduates a glimpse into their son or daughter's student life at Stanford.
Parents' Weekend is one of the university's "Big 5" events, along with Reunion Homecoming, Commencement, Admit Weekend and New Student Orientation.
Visitors are expected from 31 states and 20 countries. Parents will be visiting from such countries as Australia, India, Malaysia and the Netherlands. Generally, about half of the participants are related to freshmen, with the other half related to sophomores, juniors or seniors.
Parents' Weekend relies on the efforts of dozens of volunteers who do everything from drive visitors in golf carts to register family members, according to Anna Wilson, University Communications event coordinator. "We greatly appreciate the efforts of the many faculty, staff and students who help with this event," said Wilson. "We couldn't do it without them."
Among the highlights of the weekend are "Conversations with Parents" on Friday morning. These sessions are targeted to a student's class, with separate sessions for parents of freshmen, sophomores and upper-class students (juniors and seniors combined). Among the administrators who will speak are Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education John Bravman, Dean of Freshmen Julie Lythcott-Haims, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman and Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences Sharon Long.
Also popular during Parents' Weekend are "Back to School Classes," taught by some of Stanford's most recognized faculty. Classes related to earthquakes are a special feature of this year's program in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Among those teaching these classes are Greg Beroza, professor of geophysics; Mark Zoback, the Benjamin M. Page Professor of Earth Sciences; and University Archivist Maggie Kimball.
Other talks will be given by 1997 Pulitzer Prize winner Jack Rakove and 1996 Nobel Prize winner Doug Osheroff. Rakove, the Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science, will lecture on "Why Are We Always Arguing about the Constitution?" Osheroff, the J. G. Jackson and C. J. Wood Professor of Physics, will talk about "How Advances in Science Are Made."
After classes, student residence halls and community centers will host receptions for parents.
The weekend will draw to a close on Saturday with the Parents' Club's "Entertainment Extravaganza!" Performing this year will be Everyday People, Talisman, Ballet Folklorico de Stanford, Basmati Raas and WuShu. Proceeds support student scholarships at Stanford. Following is the annual Parents' Club Reception, co-hosted by the Stanford Alumni Association, in the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center.
For more information about Parents' Weekend, visit http://parents.stanford.edu/weekend/.