Families Visit Academy for Weekend, Attend Classes

Beneath the orange and yellow fall canopy, last weekend, students walked hand-in-hand with family members to classes, sports games, performances and more during PEA’s annual Family Weekend.

Several students expressed excitement about being with their parents for the weekend. “I love Family Weekend because I do miss my parents,” lower Stella Shattuck said. “They live ten hours away by car, so I don’t get to see them often and it was nice to have them come up and hang out.”

For many new students, especially preps, family weekend is their chance to introduce their parents to the Harkness pedagogy. “I like that parents get a glimpse of the material and the process of how we learn,” prep Nathan Khu said. 

Although Family Weekend is a prime opportunity for students to host their families, many parents choose not to visit for varying reasons. “My parents didn’t visit this year, but part of it is [that] they don’t speak English, so they wouldn’t be able to really understand the discussions we hold in our classes,” lower David Wang said.

Not all students had family coming. However, even without parents present, many students found ways to enjoy the weekend. “I’m a proctor in Langdell and we organized dorm activities like movie night and pizza for people whose parents couldn’t make it ,and that was a lot of fun,” senior Sarah Barrett said. “I think it’s nice to have activities, especially since it provides an opportunity to meet people in the dorm that you otherwise wouldn’t really cross paths with.”

Some Exonians noticed discrepancies in how students act when parents are present as opposed to when they are surrounded only by their peers. “In my history class especially, there were more parents than students in the class,” Shattuck said. “Our class is already difficult to talk in because of the heavy subject, so it was very nerve wracking to have all of the parents looking at you.”

Khu observed an increase in student participation, which led to a competitive atmosphere. “My math class [was] pretty hectic because everyone fights to show their parents that they are actually contributing,” Khu said.

Senior Crystal Reyes noticed a similar pattern, adding, “I noticed a couple people who usually don’t talk as much become Harkness warriors, which was funny. I also saw that a lot of my teachers were more lively than usual.”

Opportunities for students to impress visiting family were ample in non-academic environments as well. Almost all sports teams hosted games on campus and the musical ensembles held performances on Friday night. “I went to the a cappella showcase because my sister, [upper Abby Asch], was in it,” prep Jojo Asch said. “It was fun to see her doing something she loves.”