Celebrating Parents Weekend
Peggy Ulrich-Nims and Charlie Nims have already come to DU from Norwell, Mass., three times for Parents Weekend. They keep making the long trip again mostly to visit their daughter Chrissie Nims, a junior majoring in international studies, but also because they enjoy the events and the campus experience.
"It's the camaraderie of the University atmosphere," Charlie Nims says.
DU hosts Parents Weekend every October. About 500 parents came to campus Oct. 20-22, 2006, to attend information sessions, learn more about their children's experience at DU, and most important, spend time with their kids.
Connecting with DU
During information sessions at Parents Weekend, parents can learn more about the University, ask questions and voice their opinions. In 2006, sessions will covered topics such as career planning for undergraduates and studying abroad through the popular Cherrington Global Scholars program.
The Nims enjoyed the Parents Breakfast With the Chancellor at the Parents Weekends they've attended. They say they appreciated that parents had the chance to ask Chancellor Robert Coombe questions.
"That prompted a really lively conversation," Ulrich-Nims says.
Parents Weekend offers more than organized sessions, however. It's a chance for parents to experience day-to-day life on campus. They can eat at the dining hall with their children, hear faculty lectures and meet their kids' friends.
Spending time together
Activities like the ever-popular (and raucous) Pioneers hockey game, the Homecoming parade, concerts and dances let parents and students relax together and reconnect.
Parents Weekend 2006 marked the first Taste of DU celebration. Favorite local restaurants, many owned by DU alumni, set up booths on Campus Green. Parents, students and alumni got to know each other while they sampled some of the best food in Denver.
According to Charlie Nims, Parents Weekend events add up to an invaluable experience. "At Parents Weekend, you're going to classrooms, seeing the campus, meeting other parents," Nims says. "It's a broadening experience that makes you feel like part of the DU community."
If you're a parent of a DU student and you'd like to get involved, you can join the DU Parents Association.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2006