Parents Weekend '96, Ithaca College's open house for parents, is scheduled for October 4-6. The annual event promises a varied round of activities and events to entertain visitors and to showcase the talents of Ithaca students. "It's one of our largest on-campus events of the year," says Stephen Kimmons, director of alumni relations. "It's also our best opportunity to roll out the red carpet, so families can sample all the programs here, both academic and extracurricular."
Registration
for the weekend will be held in the north foyer of Phillips Hall from noon
to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 4, and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday,
October 5. Each day has special events in store, including music, theater,
slide presentations, and intercollegiate sporting events.
Dinner is offered in the College dining halls, in the campus's Tower Club overlooking the city of Ithaca and Cayuga Lake, and in restaurants near the campus. A list of restaurants is available from the alumni relations office. Call 607-274-1393.
At 8:00 p.m. in Hoerner Theatre, Dillingham Center, Ithaca College Theatre will present The Good Times Are Killing Me, a warm new comic drama that captures the excitement of growing up and the joy of interracial friendships as well as the sadness that societal pressure creates. Musical hits of the 1960s add to the charm and simplicity of an emotionally charged play. In Ford Hall Auditorium at 8:15 p.m., the School of Music will present a concert by our vocal jazz ensemble and symphonic band. Tickets are required for both events.
The
day begins with the "Wheaties with Whalen" breakfast from 8:30
to 10:00 a.m. in the Egbert Dining Hall. President James J. Whalen and
other members of the administration will be your hosts. This is a fine
opportunity to greet President Whalen and wish him well in the last year
of his distinguished career at the College.
From 9:00 a.m. to noon, a Shabbat holiday service, including Yizkor service, will be held in Muller Chapel. A Simchat Torah service will be held in the chapel later in the day, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
After breakfast parents can head down to the Haskell Davidson Boathouse on the Cayuga Inlet, where men's and women's intrasquad crews will vie for the Freeman Cup before bankside picnickers.
Presentations, demonstrations, discussions, and open houses in the five schools and at other sites around the campus begin at 10:00 a.m. Conducted by College faculty, staff, and students, these events offer chances to learn about the variety of academic and career-planning opportunities offered at Ithaca.
Come to Textor Hall at 10:30 a.m. for an informative slide show about Ithaca College's academic programs in London, Madrid, and Singapore. At 11:00 a.m. Dean Tom Bohn will answer questions about the Roy H. Park School of Communications program in Los Angeles.
A lunch for parents will be served at 11:00 a.m. in Hill Center, where guests can listen to the sounds of the marimba ragtime band and meet members of the faculty and administration, including President Whalen, who will speak at noon.
In
the afternoon there will be many chances to sample athletic and artistic
activities. The traditional Parents Weekend football game will see Springfield
College meeting Ithaca's Bombers on the Butterfield Stadium turf at 1:00
p.m. At 2:00 p.m. and again at 8:00 p.m., Voices Unlimited takes over the
pub/coffeehouse in a high-energy musical extravaganza featuring dances
and music that address today's social issues. Also at these times will
be additional performances of The Good Times Are Killing Me in the Hoerner
Theatre, Dillingham Center.
The Kuumba Repertory Theatre presents an evening showcasing our multicultural heritage at 8:00 p.m. in Muller Chapel. More entertainment follows when the jazz workshop and concert band present a joint concert in Ford Hall at 8:15 p.m.
Finally, at 10:00 p.m. in the Emerson Suites, Phillips Hall, the Ithaca College Student Alumni Association will sponsor the Jackman Twins, who will dazzle the audience with their combination of magic, humor, juggling, and fire eating.
The final day of Parents Weekend '96 offers brunches (including a special Hillel holiday brunch), a Catholic mass, and a Protestant service. Be sure to linger long enough for the finale, a 1:30 p.m. concert in Ford Hall Auditorium presented by the orchestra and choral ensembles.
All in all, it promises to be a satisfyingly full weekend showcasing a wide spectrum of activities. It's also a chance for parents to combine a visit to their sons and daughters with an opportunity to meet faculty, administrators, staff members, and other parents.