Parents and visitors and siblings, oh my! Ah, another year of college. Or maybe it's your first and you're thinking that you've just regained your freedom from a summer at home with your parents. Not too fast: Parents' Weekend is the first weekend in October. Don't worry, this isn't a time for your parents to come and criticize your lifestyle at college. Rather, it's a great weekend to spend with your family; catching up and enjoying Sonoma State University and the events throughout the weekend, as well as introducing your family to the community. "Remembering back to freshman year, I loved Parents' Weekend because all the parents went grocery shopping and our fridge was packed…we did not know what to eat first,” said Leanne Borden, senior. This year, Parents' Weekend and Sonoma State’s annual Open House fall on the same weekend. Parents' Weekend falls on the weekend of Oct. 7-9, and SSU’s Open House will be hosted Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The weekend is filled with many activities for parents, including seminars by different academic departments. Besides the seminars, there are also events planned so parents can have the opportunity to experience the everyday life of a college student through breakfast in the cafeteria, barbeque lunches and campus tours. “Four years later my parents continue to come to Parents' Weekend. They come up, buy you stuff and you get to show off your room and new buddies, it is really nice to see them for a little bit before midterms,” said Wesley Wills, senior. The Recreation Center is hosting many events for Parents Weekend 2005, opening their doors for activities, tours and "…the opportunity for you and your parents to workout all weekend long" said Pam Su, Director of Campus Recreation. Events that one can participate in at the Rec Center are planned for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sport clubs such as crew and women’s lacrosse are slated for team demonstration. Also planned are an array of competitions. At 1 p.m. is the Team Challenge. Ten teams with five members each will be competing against one another in an eating contest. At 2 p.m. there will be a tour of the Rec Center. The tours will focus on the “Green Building” aspects of the Recreation Center, as it is one of the most sustainability-oriented, water-conscious, and environmentally friendly buildings in the nation. After the events hosted on campus are finished, take the opportunity of having your parents in Sonoma County for the weekend to enjoy the surrounding region; enjoy the wine in the beautiful Sonoma veneers, a restful afternoon in Calistoga, or just walk the storefronts in downtown Sonoma. Before you and your parents venture off though, make sure you take a moment to take part in the events that are right here on campus. SSU’s Open House also offers excitement for students and parents alike. There will be many booths located in the Main Quad, including: student groups, the Cotati and Rohnert Park Chambers of Commerce, Alumni Association, Pre-College Programs, SSU Parents Association, and NASA Outreach and Engineering Science. Run by Lynn Cominsky, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the NASA booth is sure to attract attention. “I lead a group of people on SSU campus that is paid by NASA to do Education and Public Outreach. We are bringing our exhibit booth to the Open House, and will be giving away NASA products developed here at SSU, as well as doing demonstrations,” said Cominsky. Along with the multiple booths that will be set up in the Main Quad, one can go on a Campus Tour or see the Automatic Retrial System in the library. No matter what you are planning to do the weekend of October 7-9, make sure you stop by campus and check out all the events; you never know, one might spark your interest. For further information on events and times for the Open House, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/openhouse/.
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