<st weekend, parents, family and friends arrived on campus from all over the country to visit their Carleton students. For some, the weekend marked their first time at Carleton; for others, it was one of many visits to the college. In the words of alumna Julie Mackin ’87, wife of Bob Mackin ’87 and the mother of three Carls, “It’s just always nice to be back at Carleton.”
This year’s Parent’s Weekend was full of events, starting Friday morning with the entertaining and informative convocation by astronomer Phil Plait. Afterwards, visitors sat in on their student’s classes and enjoy meals at the two dining halls.
The weekend continued with other exciting events such as Moonrise Kingdom screenings, campus tours, an arb walk, an acappella fest, quiz bowl competition, Dacie Moses’ ice-cream making demonstrations, improv comedy, and sports games.
President Poskanzer’s report on Saturday morning was a highlight for many parents. Claudia Flack, parent of Caleb Flack ’16 who arrived by plane from Chicago, remarked, “It was good. I learned a lot about his strategic plan and what some of the plans are for the future of the school, so that was interesting.”
Visitors also enjoyed many non-campus events. Andrea Storey, parent of Isabel Storey ’16, said, “We poked around downtown in some of the stores when it was raining. That was nice. I’d seen the campus a few times but I hadn’t seen downtown Northfield. It’s a cute town.”
Students also seized time with parents to do more low-key activities, like, as Bob Mackin phrased it, “restocking the food pantry” of their dorm rooms. Claudia Flack said that she and her son “did some laundry, which was very important.” There were also the necessary trips to Target, and the Carleton Bookstore for apparel.
But despite the plethora of activities, parents simply enjoyed getting to see their students. Claudia Flack commented, “I knew he would be happy here, but its just great to see him really happy, and really looking at ease, and like he chose the right place.”
The weekend was an exciting time for students as well, representing an opportunity to share their lives at Carleton with their loved ones. Isabel Storey ’16, whose parents and sister traveled from Iowa City, reflected on this opportunity: “I feel like I live in a new world, I have a new life, and I’m showing it off.”
Although it was a brief visit for many, families were grateful for the time they were able to spend together. Claudia Flack added, “I’m only here for one day, but it’s been a great day.”