For all our parents and families coming to campus for Family Weekend, you might discover that your idea of an ‘early morning’ is vastly different than your student’s.  So for any of our Deac families who have some time to kill in the morning while your students are still abed, here’s a Top 10 Things to Do While Your Deac is Sleeping In.

[in no particular order]

1. Go up to Farrell Hall and tour the building.  You’ll be amazed at the vast, open, welcoming Living Room – but you can also go upstairs and peek at the various classrooms.

2. Visit the ZSR Starbucks or Campus Grounds to get that morning cup of coffee.

3. Take said coffee and drink it in the rocking chairs on the Mag Patio, just outside of the Green Room of Reynolda Hall.

4.  Go in the Green Room of Reynolda Hall and look at some of the University Art Collection’s works.  There are brochures in the room to tell you what you are seeing.

5. Continuing the art theme, walk through the 3rd and 4th floors of Benson Center and look at the artworks collected there from past student buying trips.

6. Wander up to Davis Chapel (which is on the back side of Wait Chapel facing big parking lot Q) and go inside.  The chapel has been recently renovated to be more of a multi-denominational space and it is beautiful.

7. If you’re feeling especially funloving, head down towards Scales Fine Arts Center and sit on the swings hanging from the nearby trees.  Swinging is great fun.

8.  Explore some of the academic buildings.  Your students taking artistic type classes?  Go into Scales.  Humanities classes?  Go into Tribble or Carswell.  Romance languages or psychology?  Go into Greene.  Science classes? Winston, Salem, or Olin’s your place.

perioidc table spirit walk9. Speaking of Salem, visit the periodic table bench that was a student art project.  It’s a picnic table with ceramic tiles in the shape of the periodic table.  And a nice place to sit outside.

10. Go to the Spirit Walk between Tribble and Benson and look at all the bricks that have been purchased in years past by and for our students.  See which bricks you like the most.

And this is a gentle reminder for something to think about before you come to campus.  Particularly if you are the parent of a first-year student, consider talking to your student about whether there are people on his/her hall whose families can’t come for Family Weekend, and include that student in your plans.  Some of our families live at a great distance, others may have younger siblings at home or work commitments that they can’t leave.  To help make everyone’s Family Weekend a good one, think about leaving no man (or woman) behind when you are planning group meals, tailgating, etc.    Imagine how you would feel if the shoe was on the other foot and you couldn’t attend.  And offer a kindness to another student if you can.

 

– by Betsy Chapman

 

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