This past weekend the Geneseo campus became a little more active, as many students' families visited for Parents Weekend and enjoyed various activities on campus and around town.
The festivities began Friday afternoon when the men's soccer team faced Buffalo State. Later that night, Wadsworth Auditorium was packed full for the annual Kaleidoscope concert. The concert, which is traditionally held on Parents Weekend, featured the talents of students and faculty in all aspects of the performing arts.
"I loved Kaleidoscope," said Tom Downing, whose son is a senior. "There was a great variety of talent, and it was so enjoyable to see that showcased."
Karen Fevola, whose daughter Michelle is a senior violinist and Kaleidoscope and Honors Recital performer, said, "We don't often get a chance to see Michelle perform very often, so it was nice to do."
Friday night, visitors were offered another taste of Geneseo performing arts in the vegSOUP production of "Alice in Wonderland" in the Robert Sinclair Theater. The night was rounded off by an ice cream social hosted by Geneseo Late Knight.
Saturday morning, parents were given the opportunity to play student, and many woke up bright and early for the "Parents College" mini-classes given by Geneseo professors.
"The professors were very interesting and entertaining," said Lisa Kent, whose son is a freshman. "The classes were not boring," added her husband, Tom Kent. "You could tell that it was a take-off of what the professors do in the classroom."
Following the morning classes, President Christopher Dahl gave a report to the parents on the state of the college. Wadsworth Auditorium was packed with an estimated 350 to 400 parents. Dahl discussed the new vision of "transformational learning" through which students participate in such "high-impact practices" as research, service learning, internships and capstone projects. These projects aid students to "build the soul, psyche and body," Dahl said.
He also addressed the difficult fiscal atmosphere the college faces and described the "Six Big Ideas" approach to improve the school while dealing with a difficult budget situation.
Many parents said they found the presentation helpful in getting a feel for the administration's outlook on Geneseo. "It's nice to hear what the big vision is that gets you to where the school is at," Tom Kent said.
Others said they were concerned that the address did not elaborate beyond the information already available in published literature about the school. "It was a very good presentation," Teresa Wheatley said, "but I think there was too much about endowments. They are important, but I've already read about these things."
The rest of the day was filled with presentations and workshops, as well as the Honors Recital Competition, a fall harvest dinner and an evening concert featuring a visit from Geneseo's own graduated barbershop quartet, NARD, and The Blanks from the hit television series "Scrubs."
Still, many said that the most rewarding part of the weekend was spending time with their family and enjoying Geneseo. Tom Niemeyer, whose son is a freshman, said, "I really like the atmosphere, and that the town is right next to the school."
Freshman Josh Kent said, "I only get to see my parents a few times a year, so this was nice." Downing added, "I spent some time in the dorm with my son and his friends. It was fun to see them hanging out."