Everyone has experienced take your child to work day, but how about take your parents to school day? In my senior year, my parents came to Family Weekend hosted by Yale for a weekend of formal programming and informal tours guided by me. While they’ve moved me in for the first year, they never got an in-depth tour to understand the campus due to COVID regulations and my lack of knowledge regarding campus. However, this time I was able to share with them all my favorite spots and memories as we walked from end to end of campus.
First, we registered for the Family Weekend itinerary and looked at the schedule of programming to go to the “Why I Teach”, A Panel on Teaching and Education by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis that interviewed a panel of distinguished professors to hear their thoughts on education and how they approach teaching in their respective ways. The board was filled with professors from all different disciplines, and I was excited because two of the panelists, Professor Chalioti and Professor Shore, were my professors in the past. I was glad my parents got to see them sharing their perspectives on education and give a simplified overview to the contents of their courses. My parents were ecstatic to hear the professors give an introduction to their fields and share what makes them excited about teaching. Even from a student perspective, the panel was extremely insightful and motivating.
After the talk, I walked them to one end of the campus, starting my tour on Science Hill where I took them to the newly renovated Kline Tower with its congregation of labs and seminar rooms. Then, we made our way down Hillhouse Avenue and its multitude of departmental offices situated in historical houses towards Cross Campus for a look inside Sterling Library. The library was open to the public for family weekend, so I was able to show them my favorite study spots.
Posing in Sterling smh
After a long day of walking, we went out to dinner at South Bay with my current suitemate and watched the flood of families walk down College St for dinner with their students.