’07 Parents Visit Campus

The class of 2007 welcomed their parents to classes, performances, receptions, and athletic events at this year’s Junior Parents Weekend, which was sponsored by the Parents Association and planned by a committee of juniors.

Junior Parents weekend is the first formal invitation from Harvard to parents to visit their children at school, after Freshman Parents Weekend.

Many students said they enjoyed showing their parents a snapshot of their college life.

“I added real people and real locations to the pictures I have shown them for the past two and a half years.” Mirla Urzua ’07 wrote of her parents, who visited from Long Beach, Cal., in an e-mail.

Parents attended classes throughout the weekend, which proved to be both a learning and reflective experience.

In this semester’s most popular course, Psychology 1504, “Positive Psychology,” parents and students were asked to write down five things that make them happy every day, according to PeiPei X. Zhang ’08. The juniors then exchanged answers with their parents.

Many campus organizations opened up their doors to parents throughout the weekend—including The Bureau of Study Counsel and The Office of Career Services.

Guided Tours of the Art Museums also speckled the afternoon, including exhibits at the Fogg, Sackler, and Peabody Museums.

Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross and President Lawrence H. Summers each greeted the parents in Sanders Theatre (see stories, page 1).

While many students were taking their parents around, a portion of the student population said they couldn’t have their parents here.

“It was disappointing for us, the international students, to see everyone have their parents around and going together to so many events and receptions,” Vaibhav Gujral ’07 wrote in an e-mail.

Parents were invited to a debate on biotechnology and genetics by Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker and Bass Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel.

Many parents said they enjoyed interacting with the faculty.

“It would be nice to have more of that,” said one parent from Rochester, N.Y.

A Saturday morning “Snapshots of the Arts” show—including performers such as The Harvard Ballroom Dance Team and The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College—was accompanied by smaller arts performances throughout the weekend.

“My wife says she wants to come back to college,” one parent from Massachusetts said.

“I’m on cloud nine, I’m so happy to be here,” another parent said with a smile.

Students said they were pleased that Harvard opened its gates to their parents. “Having a Junior Parents Weekend was great, because I think [my parents] got a better sense of what my life on campus is like, in terms of the faculty, the facilities, and house life,” wrote Sonali Palchaudhuri ’07 in an e-mail.