Families Weekend exposes campus events
It was Saturday morning. I was sitting in the commons perusing that morning's edition of The New York Times, and though I had a mountain of work that screamed for an appointment with Fondren, I was going to neglect it. This year's Families Weekend brought students' families to the Rice campus, featured a smorgasbord of diverse, exciting events and provided a great excuse for students to step out of their dorm rooms and appreciate Rice from a non-student perspective.
Powderpuff games, an open house at our fabulous new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreational and Wellness Center, campus tours and a smattering of different lectures all added great options to this past weekend's itinerary, but out of all the well-advertised events - the football team's first home game, the family barbeque and the group discussion panels - I found that some of the most enjoyable activities were not the ones devoted to just last weekend, but those that Rice offers all the time.
Listening to graduate student Catherine Ramirez's doctoral flute recital at the Shepherd school and attending Spontaneous Combustion's improv comedy show were two of my personal favorites. Not having attended a small classical recital in recent memory, I was unsure what to expect, but by the opening notes of Ramirez's repertoire, I felt bound to be a classical music fan.
As Ramirez and her colleagues worked their way through the various pieces, I was enraptured by a new world of musical delight, lulled by the gentle sway of the quiet andante tempo, then sitting on edge as the pace quickened to allegro. Their fingers moved as if dancing, their facial expressions perfectly matched the finer tones of the various pieces; taken together, the musicians themselves were sights to behold even without the melody flowing from their instruments.
What was most impressive, however, was not the level of talent, but the degree of joy that radiated from their faces at the final bows. The music they created was wonderful, but above it all you could sense that for the performers, it was fun - the musicians had found something they loved performing for an audience, and the feeling was contagious.
It's amazing to think that this type of live entertainment is available to us, not just for Families Weekend, but every weekend! Not only were both the recital and comedy acts entertaining, but they also showcased the level of talent present amongst our peers.
As for my family, they seemed to enjoy the cooking demonstration with Chef Roger - then again, who wouldn't? An impressive array of different cooking techniques, a salmon filleted in under three minutes and samples for everyone to try made the experience extraordinary for both my family and my palate. The response heard echoing from all corners of the room: "Yes, Mom, he does cook for us everyday."
Even as an on-campus student, I felt inspired and awed by the vast amount of activities and sense of community that becomes mundane when classes get hectic and you begin to take everything around you for granted.
Oddly enough, it took a visit from my parents to really get me to explore some of Rice's more unique opportunities and to realize that on some weekends, everyone is entitled to pack away the books, skip out on an extra review session and see Rice from a tourist's perspective. In short, I found Families Weekend to be a major success.
Drawing from my own positive weekend escapades and my observations of the sheer enjoyment of other families, I'd say that Families Weekend is one tradition here at Rice that students should definitely take advantage of.
However, as this year's Families Weekend has come and gone, why should we wait until next September to take advantage of the opportunities to put down the books and find some live entertainment? Surely Rice students don't need their parents to show them how to have a good time. This weekend brings another exciting schedule of events: another home football game, a concert by the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, a new Rec Center to explore and, as always, the usual eclectic mix of on-campus clubs and meetings. So take advantage of these opportunities. Fondren will still be there when you get back.
Johanna Ohm is a Duncan College freshman.
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