After Parents Weekend in 1982, President of the College Leroy Greason offered a suggestion:
"As a general policy, let's use magic markers on name tags. Faint ink seems to defeat the whole purpose."
Name tags are essential for parent's Weekend: 1,748 family members registered for last year's event.
Parents Weekend offers many activities for parents of students to connect with the College. This can be especially important for first-year students.
"It's reassuring for parents to see how their first year is doing," said Danielle Carniaux '10.
Carniaux's parents will not be attending Parents Weekend. She joked that she will "hang out with the other orphans" this weekend.
Eren Munir '09 said that he is looking forward to introducing his parents to his friends. "It's a fun weekend having everyone's parents up," he said.
His plans include watching sports and going out to eat. Munir noted that his parents, who also attended the weekend his first two years, gave him more freedom last year. "I don't have to show them around as much," said Munir.
Parents Weekend provides some insight into the daily lives of students, and accordingly, parents will have the opportunity to attend classes.
Associate Professor of Classics James Higginbotham, who teaches Introduction to Greek Archaeology, said that parental presence will add variety to classes.
Higginbotham said that he has had as few as two parents and as many as 20 in his class on previous Parents Weekends.
Higginbotham does not alter his lesson plan dramatically for the parents, though he will preface the lecture with "an important thread that will make it more enjoyable," he said.
"For most, it's been a very long time since they have been in a similar setting," he said. He added that it is useful for parents to see the changes in technology and teaching method.
Director of Environmental Studies DeWitt John requires that parents sit around the outside of the classroom, not at the table, though he meets parents after class.
John doesn't deviate from his plan in the presence of parents. "You only get students for three hours a week. You don't want to waste time," he said.
Higginbotham said that parents of first years are most likely to attend class. "I think the interest and the novelty of having kids at college is what leads them to come," he said.
Johanna Clarke '11 will be taking her parents to a German immersion class, though neither of her parents speak German.
"They want to see what my classes are like," she said.
Clarke also said she plans to take her parents to the Walker Art Building and celebrate her upcoming birthday by going out to dinner. Nonetheless, she does plan on leaving some time to herself.
"They can amuse themselves," said Clarke. "It's not like Bowdoin is completely boring if I'm not with them every minute."
Parents Weekend evolved from Father's Day, which started in 1959. In the fall of 1960, Father's Day and James Bowdoin Day, a celebration honoring scholastic achievement, were separate events. The next year, the events were held on the same weekend.
It wasn't until the fall of 1993 that Parents Weekend became the official term used in the College Catalogue. The weekend included both Sarah and James Bowdoin Day (formerly James Bowdoin Day) and Parents Weekend.
"[Parents Weekend] has become a showcase for what our students do and experience," said Secretary of the College Richard Mersereau, who was involved with the Office of Events and Summer Programs, which plans Parents Weekend, in the '70s and '80s. The event emerged when Robert Wilhelm became Dean of the College and incorporated his experience as a housemaster at Yale University.
Parents Weekend now includes a vast array of activities, including speeches by professors, theater events and presentations by student groups.