Last weekend, the campus was scattered with parents eager to participate in the numerous activities of Geneseo's annual Parents' Weekend Extravaganza.
Among the various events were the Letchworth State Park walk, varsity hockey games, a LateKnight ice cream social, mini-lectures delivered by professors called "Parents' college," study abroad workshops, a fall harvest dinner and the Bacon Brothers concert. This multitude of events kept parents and students on their feet despite the gloomy weather.
"Based on anecdotal feedback that we have received so far, parents enjoyed seeing their students, meeting other parents and faculty and the opportunity to interact with President Dahl," said Tammy Ingram, Parents' Weekend coordinator. Ingram also mentioned record setting participation of over 1,400 people.
According to Ingram, the most highly attended events were Parents' College, the Career Services Workshop and the address from President Dahl.
"Campus Auxiliary Services put on a very satisfying Harvest Dinner that was accompanied by the music of Exit 8, Southside Boys and Hips 'n Harmony," said Ingram.
Parents got a taste of the Geneseo experience with Parents' College, the short lectures given by professors that elicited a great turnout. Political science professor Jeremy Grace gave a lecture on the United States and Political Reconstruction in Post-Conflict Countries.
"About 80 or so persons attended my talk and it seems to have been well received, generating some great questions and discussion," said Grace. "It was a good opportunity to meet so many parents and reminded me why Geneseo has such top-notch students."
Geological sciences professor Richard Young, who gave a lecture on geologic research with students in the Grand Canyon, shared a similar sentiment.
"Questions from the audience and the number of individuals that came to speak to me later indicated to me there was generally a fair amount of interest in the subject as I covered it," said Young, whose lecture drew a large turnout of about 100 attendees.
The Bacon Brothers concert was also a well-attended event.
"I loved the concert, even though I didn't know any of the songs," said junior Katie Smart. "The Bacons were hilarious and they made the concert fun for both me and my mom."
Students and parents alike found the weekend to be an enjoyable one, despite the rainy weather.
"We went to Letchworth [on Friday] and we were supposed to attend the Presidential gathering [on Saturday] but the weather was so bad that we just decided to stay at the mall instead," said freshman Katie Nottke.
Despite the bad weather, students still found outlets with which to give parents a taste of Geneseo life.
"I had a great time with my parents," said freshman Zach Zaffuto, who attended a hockey game, the dinner at MJ and a viewing of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with his parents. "I missed them a lot. This weekend has definitely met my expectations."
Freshman Alison Williams agreed. "We went to the hockey game and it was good time. The game was exciting," she said. "My parents love coming and I would definitely invite them next year."