Parent to parent: Parents event ’great weekend’

They figured about 200 people would show up. Instead, more than twice that number registered for last month’s Parent and Family Weekend, the first in nearly 20 years, and organizers eventually capped attendance at about 450.

Success? Yes, I guess the sellout was proof of that, and a sign of just how eager parents are to stay involved with their sons and daughters in college. But equally impressive, to this parent, was the commitment that the university’s leaders showed to the event.

The weekend came amid growing furor over fee increases at UC Davis and other campuses, increases that have many parents and students wondering how they'll stretch their budget to stay in school.

Getaway and celebration

But while fee increases are front and center right now, I thought I would step back this month and share my experience of the parents weekend — especially for those many who missed the event and might want to consider attending next year.

For my wife, Alison, and me, the parents weekend would be a chance to get away as well as a chance to celebrate our son Kevin's birthday, which had been just a few days before. The weekend itinerary allotted plenty of free time, which was fine with us.

After the flight up from Burbank, we checked into a downtown Davis hotel with an unusual and popular perk: an open bar every evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tempting, but we had already signed up to attend the Vintage Aggies fall wine tasting in the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

Although sponsored by the alumni association, the wine tasting was opened to those attending the parents weekend — a good idea, as it turns out, since most of the people we chatted with there were fellow parents. There weren't many students besides Kevin, however, so we didn't get any complaints from him when we headed out to dinner at an Indian restaurant downtown.

Aggie traditions and football

Saturday morning featured a talk in "Aggie Traditions" at the Pavilion, but we had planned to skip that for a morning workout at the Activities and Recreation Center, which was thoughtfully opened up to parents for the weekend. Alas, I ended up having to devote the morning to work, so Alison took a few laps around the downtown shopping area as her morning workout. Then it was off with Kevin, who was eager to show off the campus radio station, KDVS-FM, where he works. I was most impressed by station's vast collection of obscure music (a favorite: "Shadow Music of Thailand").

Saturday afternoon featured the Golden Horseshoe Classic against archrival Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Parents received tickets to the football game as part of the weekend — but not students, who can usually get in for free.

This game was a sellout, however, throwing those plans awry. Fortunately, parent program coordinator Maria Zalesky commandeered extra tickets for students, so we and other parents were able to get in with our offspring.

Since our seats weren't together, we grabbed a spot on the grass in the end zone with two other parents and a couple of Kevin's friends. The weather was perfect, as was the game: The Aggies delivered a 23-10 win over the Mustangs, with the added bonus of a 52-yard field goal by Sean Kelley, tying a school record.

That afternoon we took Kevin shopping for birthday presents, and later that night we had dinner at a Thai restaurant and checked out the stores downtown.

Breakfast and tours

Sunday morning kicked off with the breakfast in Freeborn Hall, where both Chancellor Linda Katehi and Vice Chancellor Fred Wood gave talks. They touched on both the importance of campus life and the value of a UC education, something that we have come to appreciate even more in recent months as the state budget crisis has triggered fee hikes. Their presence at the breakfast was an indication of just how important parents are to the future of the UC system.

After that, parents had their pick of a series of campus tours — including the School of Veterinary Medicine, Shields Library, Aggie Stadium and the meat processing plant in the Department of Animal Science.

Alison and I had opted to see the exhibit of African American quilts in the Nelson Gallery. But after sitting with Biological Sciences Dean Ken Burtis at breakfast, Alison (a one-time biology student at UC San Diego) decided to take the biology tour instead. I stuck with the Nelson Gallery, which was well worth the walk across campus.

Changes for next year

All in all, it was a great weekend. The agenda seemed a bit loose, but we never lacked for things to do. Next year, parent coordinator Zalesky plans to add more programs (including faculty seminars), book larger venues to accommodate demand and let the parents get their football tickets directly from the athletics department.

All those sound like good tweaks to a program that ran well, especially given its long dormancy.

The only sad thing for us: There won't be a next year. Kevin graduates in June.