It’s family weekend. Again. Hm…Let me try that one more time.
It’s family weekend again! This is often the constant fight that my brain (and perhaps other fellow students’ brains) has in terms of moderating my tone of voice when spending time with my parents. Often, I find students may be excited at the prospect of their parents visiting whether it be for their company or their company at a fine dining restaurant. Then they arrive…and chaos ensues. Living with a roommate provides complications when parents want to tour all aspects of your life, which could include your dorm/bedroom. Now that I live off campus, there is more of a buffer for both roommates if parents are to come. However, if my roommate and her friends are eating shrooms for dinner, it may be hard to protect my innocent parents from the drug-ridden reality of college.
This is the first year that my parents are coming to visit me. Usually, I get to observe all the other parents. Not this year. Through my many years (2 years) of occasional observation, I've uncovered parental tropes. The most visible trope is the “proud Northwestern” parents. I’m not saying that they should not be proud, rather I’m merely describing their wardrobe. They wear all purple or the classic Northwestern Mom/Northwestern Dad shirts. Generally, they come with both sets of parents and maybe even the grandparents who may also be adorning Northwestern Grandma/Northwestern Grandpa shirts. Another very typical trope is the nuclear family, where the parents bring the younger sibling who is likely whining and pouting and wondering why on Earth this is relevant to them at all. Then, there are the legacy power families. They’ve been here, done that. They don’t need to show off with Northwestern gear. Here is where this group splits off. They either give matured sorority or fraternity outfits or they could give European chic. Lastly, there are the randos like my parents, who are both first generation immigrants. My dad has absolutely no desire in styling his clothing while my mom loves spending money on clothes, all of which serves to give a very contrasting image that is uncategorizable other than rando.
It’s Thursday, and my parents have left me to the chaos of concussions, blunts and farts. That’s where I leave you too.