Anyone attending family weekend this year? Also, the homecoming game isn’t on the same weekend this year! Oh well…
Thinking of giving it a pass. Last year our kid was preoccupied with homework etc (the event is in week 4 when academic work is in full flow) and didn’t have much time for us. Of course, your “mileage may vary” with your kids situation.
We had lots of fun last year. It was good for this mama to see first hand how DD was settling in. The colors on campus were amazing, and we were able to spend time with our DD. We did some fun things like bus tour of Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods with a Chicago historian, Rockefeller Chapel bell tower tour, and University Symphony Orchestra Halloween concert - a must - complete with costumes and dancers from a local HP dance studio. The director always makes a big entrance - last year she was Bride of Frankenstein. (Ok, I’m biased as my kid is in the USO, but it really is a fun concert.) https://music.uchicago.edu/event/university-symphony-orchestra-halloween-concert
This year we aren’t going, but only because we are meeting up in Chicago with UChi daughter and her twin brother - a Buckeye - for the Ohio State/Northwestern football game which is the weekend before Parents Weekend.
We are attending. I don’t mind if my S has little to no time to spend with us as I’d like to tour the campus / Rockerfeller / city tour etc. All things we didn’t get to see or do on move-in weekend.
^ Good idea! Hope you guys have good fall weather. HP is lovely in the fall.
When we went last year, our son had little time to spend with us as well, but we had a great time on campus and touring Chicago in general. Have a great time everybody!
Hope you parents can linger around today and enjoy the bright sunny Sunday and the fall colors on campus. Yesterday weather was totally miserable. I thought it rained before sunrise and didn’t stop until midnight. I wonder whether school had to move most of the activities indoor.
We have just returned from the weekend. It was really wonderful.; very well organized with plenty of activities etc. to keep hovering parents and families, occupied.
We saw very little of our S (mid-terms), and the little we did see of him, he was distracted with getting back to studying or socializing! I did make me feel a little disappointed, but there were plenty of other miserable looking parents to keep me company, lol!
The Dean’s Welcome Reception on Friday night was a little lackluster, just a bunch of parents standing around, drinking cheap wine from plastic tumblers and eating very basic dorm party fare i.e. rolled up pieces of ham, celery and carrots for dips and what may have been a cheese platter - I think that reception required a little more effort.
The Saturday BBQ was very nice - tables laid out in the Quad and something for everyone on the BBQ - chicken, burgers, Hot dogs and Veg. Burger. My S was not there but we sat with a very nice family from FL. the son was in the newest dorm (don’t remember the name) and he was very happy. He was telling us that his House has monthly ‘hosted’ parties, hosted by the dorm’s benefactor, as well as hosted holiday parties and plenty of $ for various activities throughout the year.
That did give me a twinge of annoyance - my S’s House is scrambling for Pizza $, and if they could get the broken dryers fixed, so that my S is not paying for drying that doesn’t dry, it would save me a lot of $ and maybe I would buy a pizza, LOL!!
The heavens did open during the early afternoon and the rain was unrelenting for the rest of the day. We did manage to dodge the rain enough, that we were still able to occupy ourselves i.e. the Rockefeller Tower tour, Oriental Museum etc.
At about 5pm we decided to go back to the room, where we stayed until Sunday morning.
Sunday, we attended the Dean’s Brunch in Ida Noyes - what a contrast to the Friday reception! A fabulous smorsgasbord of anything and everything you can imagine; a carving station with roast beef, turkey & pork, eggs, smoked salmon,breads, pancakes, pastries, fruits, sausages & bacon etc., a truly welcoming brunch. Free flowing Champagne or Prosecco ( I didn’t have any so idk), juices & coffee. It was a lovely ending to a memorable weekend. After brunch, we took a walk along the lake for a few hours; it was a stunning day with all the Fall colors coming out to riot against a backdrop of sapphire blue skies. Really, really lovely.
Later that evening, we met our S for a farewell dinner and ‘goodbyes’ and then headed back to the hotel to rest before an early morning flight on Monday.
Now to my S’s House - he LOVES it! He really enjoys the culture and the ready-made friend group. He spends almost no time in his room, most of his time is spent in the lounge or the dining commons (where he studies). He seems to have made some friends, which is a relief, and he seems genuinely happy and engaged. He is taking full advantage of social opportunities i.e. weekend trips downtown, apple picking etc.
The walk to eat doesn’t bother him that much, although he did say it is burdensome in the rain, we’ll see how it goes in the snow! Just in general, he enjoys walking and so he has not yet taken the shuttle - we’ll see if walking is still enjoyable when the first snow hits at the end of the week!
In terms of places to eat - this time we tried:
Medici on 57th for the BEST croissants and breads
The Promontory - fabulous food (ask for the Chef’s table for a full on demo)
Mesler at Sophy is excellent food, excellent service, fabulous lobby and reasonable prices.
Noodles etc. on 57th for a quick lunch
Booth Business School (great food!)
Salonica - basic diner with basic food
La Petite Folie - too much food, good service and good, but not fabulous food
We also attended Family weekend and had many of the same observations as @momo2x2018 . We also really enjoyed the Dean’s brunch on Sunday - that was definitely worth our time. The bbq on Saturday was ok, but I really wish they had set up some indoor seating due to the rain. By the time we ate (around 1:00) it was not pleasant outside, and everyone was scrounging to find places to sit indoors. We ended up sitting on the steps inside Harper.
I highly recommend doing the Hyde Park bus tour. That was really informative and very well done by a small tour company of UChicago grads. We also enjoyed a model class as well as the Rockefeller Chapel tour.
This was the first time we tried the Mesler restaurant at Sophy, and I agree - it was very good - a nice addition to the Hyde Park dining scene.
Our daughter also didn’t spend much time with us, due to midterms and social obligations, but I am glad that she is feeling connected to the College and didn’t hang on us the entire weekend - because then I would have been worried about her!
No way would my first year have been able to spend any time with us LOL. Glad we didn’t go. However, the Oriental Institute was hosting “Mummies and Martinis” last Thursday night and I’m kinda bummed I missed that.
There used to be tours of Haunted Hyde Park and I’d be up for something fun like that as well, given the time of year. Clarence Darrow is one of the ghosts! Robie House is also said to be haunted, though not sure of the specifics.
@momo2x2018 I am glad that your S is enjoying his House. As predicted, all of that doom and gloom about being placed into this dorm vs that dorm become a distant memory for the majority once the academic year starts and everyone settles in.
We also had a great time at the Family Weekend. I did not know that the Booth school had a place to eat, maybe we’ll try it next time. We went last year as well, and I think our goal before our son graduates is to become experts at anything ‘Chicago’ lol.