Social Networking
While Chicago students are away, their parents are partying
Last spring, before her daughter, Meagan, matriculated as a first-year student at the University of Chicago, Ona Marshall of Louisville, Ky., came to a new students program in Chicago. She talked with representatives of the College and met other parents.
When the Marshalls came to Family Weekend the following fall, they met parents of older students, and found that to be beneficial. “Parents with older students had answers,” Marshall says. That’s when she realized it could be good to meet parents of College students who live in her area. “I figured there had to be other families in Louisville with kids at Chicago,” she says. “And it’s easier to reach out here than it is in Chicago.”
That’s the point. Over the past few years, the University has begun to develop programs that connect parents not only with the school, but also with each other. The purpose is to provide local representation for Chicago and to facilitate network building among its extended constituents.
“We started with parent committees,” explains Kelly Finn, Assistant Director of the Parents Program at the University. “And we found that parents are eager to get involved. Then we launched the website and that has been huge in disseminating information and connecting people.”
Creating a network with other parents has been the goal of Alise O’Brien, whose daughter, Jessen, is also a first-year student. “I just happened to meet Kelly Finn at Orientation Week,” she says. “We started talking, and she asked if I wanted to be involved. I thought if I were going to be involved, I’d like to know other parents.”
Finn says the College is fortunate to have a lot of active parent supporters. They host interns at their jobs, read student resumes, make gifts to the Parents Fund, and now they’ve started hosting parties at their homes to unite fellow University of Chicago parents. “People are really excited about the University and events just for parents,” Finn says. “They’re looking for ways to connect. I’m not surprised they have taken the next step and started giving their own parties.”
Indeed, in the fall Marshall contacted the Parents Program and got a list of students from the Louisville area. She invited all the families, and Josh Labove, an alumnus. “Call it a gathering,” she says. “A social gathering for families. I thought they would enjoy knowing each other.”
She was right. Marshall says that since the event, parents have contacted her to say how much they enjoyed the party. They’ve been in touch about trips to Chicago, and ways to coordinate travel. “From my standpoint,” Marshall says, “we have laid a foundation for the future. I enjoyed getting to know other parents, and it was good for the students too – it gives them a connection to others.”
O’Brien, who’s from St. Louis, also saw the value of hosting a party. From her perspective, the parties are less for the students than for the parents. “I didn’t really do it for my daughter,” she says. “We all have children who are capable. The party was not to guide students, but for parents to build a network and a community. It was a social event.”
As such, the O’Briens held their party on a Sunday in January when the students had gone back to school after Christmas break. “I thought parents would want to have a connection after the kids had gone back,” she says.
Both parties were informal gatherings in the homes of the hosts. O’Brien, who drew about 30 people (Marshall estimates she had five families at her event), says she served food and drinks and people talked. “We have an amazing group of parents in this community who have students at the University of Chicago,” she says. “My life will be richer for getting to know them.”
And her mission was accomplished. O’Brien says her goal was three-fold: To create community, raise awareness of the University of Chicago and provide support for the University’s programs. She’s currently coordinating a summer event with three other parents that will be targeted to the students. “There will be no parents, except those who are hosting it.”
In the end, she says, “I feel good knowing these people.”
Marshall concurs. “It gives you a little sense of security. I hope other people will do it – it’s nice to know others in your community.”
For more information, contact Kelly Finn at (773) 702-2533 or kellyfinn@uchicago.edu.
by Carmen Marti
