Christina Domenico | The more the merrier

We're nearing the end of October, Fall Break has come and gone, so that can only mean one thing - it's almost Halloween!

That may be the first event which comes to most students' minds - my own costume is waiting impatiently to make its debut - but before Halloween week rolls in, some students find themselves playing host to mom and dad. That's right, it's Family Weekend.

The majority of upperclassmen probably don't even realize it, aside from the noticeable drop in temperature. I received no notice of it by way of e-mail or snail mail. My parents didn't mention driving up for a visit to attend the array of events and luncheons.

So whose families are coming?

The freshmen's, mostly. Family Weekend provides the first opportunity for freshmen to give their parents a peek at their newly independent lives. While overloading parents with information on campus life is a responsibility the University must fulfill, it'd be a great if the University hosted events that appeal to the whole gamut of families.

A quick peek at the weekend's events will bore any parent whose child has been in college for more than a year. The novelty's worn off, so discussions about "helping your child succeed at Penn" and workshops about "studying like a genius" have little relevance. They might not even be that appealing to freshman parents, either.

College freshman Christy Marcaccio's parents will be visiting her this weekend, and she told me, "My parents said they didn't seem very interested in the presentations that were going on."

But they are still taking advantage of this weekend to watch Marcaccio row in a regatta, which they haven't done before. She added, "A lot of people probably want their parents to see what they're involved in."

One experience that Family Weekend offers is the chance for parents and students to attend class together on Friday. But as we all know, many classes don't meet on Friday, and most parents can't arrive on campus until the end of the work day, when classes have definitely ended for the week.

There could be a wide range of other engaging options for the families of upperclass students.

For seniors readying themselves to truly leave the nest, a seminar on the post-graduation world for both parents and students would parallel the introductory presentations that freshman families receive. Many sophomores and juniors are planning their forays into foreign lands, and sessions on planning accordingly would help parents ease the anxiety. Even talking with families about internship searches on campus would be a great resource for parents who solely rely on what they hear over the phone.

Or we could draw a larger-than-average crowd to Franklin Field.

In the past, this weekend has coincided with a home football game, but that's not even the case this year. Upperclass parents who have marveled at the miracle of toast-throwing won't be swayed to visit by another opportunity to do so.

"My dad said that after this year, he'd come if I was rowing or if there was a football game," Marcaccio explained.

Family Weekend should be a part of everyone's Penn experience, not just freshmen's. The University should expand the variety of weekend sessions so that more students have the opportunity to share their college experience with their loved ones.

That way, October could mean more to us than just Fall Break and Halloween. But this year, I'll stick to candy and costumes.

Christina Domenico is a College senior from North Wildwood, N.J. Her e-mail is domenico@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Undersized Undergrad appears on Wednesdays.

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