Hundreds of parents arrived on campus last weekend for an event-filled Parent’s Weekend. They met with faculty, enjoyed an array of performances, learned about campus life and cheered as the Bobcats competed in various athletic games.
“Parents are a very important part of our community,” said President John Lahey, just before giving his welcome speech on the Arnold Bernhard Library steps. “It’s important to talk with parents and make sure they have the information they need to know.”
Some families attended the reception catered by Chartwell’s at the Pat Abbate ’58 Alumni House and Gardens, the complimentary Fidelio Concert in Buckman Theatre, starring Tony Award winner Torah Feldshuh, and the Food Fair, sponsored by the student organizations.
“This is a beautiful weekend on campus for not only the whole Quinnipiac community, but for the parents who come to visit,” said Joseph Wannat, the co-business director of WQAQ, one of the many organizations who sold food and gave out prizes.
Other organizations participating in the Food Fair were The Student Programming Board, the Student Government Association, Hillel, The Learning Center, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Chi Omega and The Chronicle.
Many students and families also went out to the fields to cheer for students playing tennis, soccer, volleyball, field hockey and baseball in games and scrimmages.
Paul Rembac, a Branford, Conn., native and father of the assistant coach for the women’s tennis team, has been coming to Quinnipiac for the past five years.
“Parking is very tough, but the campus has improved greatly,” he said.
One of the many things people think has improved is the new cafeteria.
“I think it’s excellent,” said Mark Sullivan, father of freshman Dan Sullivan. “There’s such a variety of food.”
Parents and guests attended an Information Exposition regarding academics, campus life and counseling services.
Carol Boucher, associate dean and director of Residential Life, and Monique Drucker, assistant dean of Student Affairs, talked about campus life, while Terri Johnson, a university counselor, provided information on counseling services in the Mancheski Executive Seminar Room in the Lender School of Business.
Susan Hyde-Wick, assistant director of Career Development provided a panel discussion for the parents of students exploring majors in the Kresge Foundation Lecture Hall in the Echlin Health Science Center.
Other events were the Dance Company’s Review, “Scooby Doo” shown by the Student Programming Board, the Theatre Program Workshop, featuring the 17th-century classic comedy Tartuffe, and the Catholic Mass in Alumni Hall.
The weekend ended with a complimentary Parents & Family Weekend Brunch in Alumni Hall, where parents and families bid farewell once again to their sons and daughters.