Roving Reporter: Frosh Parents' Weekend

This weekend Harvard Yard hosted a different kind of tourist—the Freshman Parent. Thus, with a keen eye for the signature red folders of university-affiliated visitors, our Roving Reporter sought out a handful of these frosh/parent pairs to get the inside scoop on weekend plans, activities, and first impressions.

Julia A. Constable ’14

Dr. Winifred Constable

Roving Reporter: What’s it like to have your mom here for the weekend?

Julia A. Constable: It’s cool because I never went to boarding school, so it’s fun to be able to show her all of my friends.

RR: And mom, are you excited to be here?

Winifred Constable: Of course, very excited.

RR: Had you been to Harvard before?

WC: Well, we came and did the tour last year. Also, I went to Smith for college, and I came here one weekend for a party.

RR: Oh, nice. How does it feel to be back?

WC: It’s really interesting. It’s different from what I expected. I expected most of the students to be social misfits or total nerds, but actually I’ve found everyone to be not particularly arrogant (laughs).

RR: What’s the most fun thing you’ve done so far?

JC: We’ve been here for like an hour.

WC: I want to go inside a finals club.

RR: Oh, really?

WC: Yes, I just saw The Social Network, and there’s an aura of mystique about them. I’m so curious!

JC: Curious is an understatement.

RR: Any club in particular that you’d like to see?

WC: Yes, I want to see the Spee!

Taeyoung Kim ’14

Mi Hyun Kim

RR: What has been your impression of Harvard so far?

Mi Hyun Kim: It’s very traditional. I can see from the architecture and the people that people take care of tradition and think it’s very important.

RR: Have you found anything surprising?

MK: I was surprised that the water in Canaday didn’t work well.

TK: And she was definitely surprised to see so many tourists.

RR: Where are you most excited to bring your mom?

TK: Well, I really wanted to bring her to Bartley’s, but she doesn’t like burgers. So then I wanted to show her Annenberg.

RR: What did you think of it?

MK: It was good. The food was good.

Leila L. Pirbay ’14

Mohib H. Pirbay

RR: How are you liking Parents’ Weekend?

Leila L. Pirbay: It’s cool. It’s different than seeing just students.

RR: Are you excited to be here?

Mohib H. Pirbay: Yes, of course. We’re coming from so far, so it’s an adventure. We’re from Madagascar.

RR: Had you ever been to Harvard before?

MLP: Yes, for move-in day.

RR: And how does it feel to be back?

MLP: I think it’s great because on move-in day it’s somewhat sad, but then you can come back six weeks later and it’s a wonderful moment to be able to see your daughter has already gone a long way.

RR: Is Harvard what you expected?

LLP: No, there’s a lot more partying than I expected.

MLP:  You shouldn’t say that now.

RR: What has been your most interesting experience so far?

MLP: Meeting with her roommate’s parents. It’s a window into American life.

Ian S. Anderson ’14

Lyndall P. Heyer

Scott Anderson

RR: Are you guys excited to be here?

Lyndall P. Heyer: It’s fun to come to Boston. We’re from the country in Vermont, so it’s always exciting to come to the city.

RR: Is Harvard what you expected it to be?

Ian S. Anderson: Yeah, in a lot of ways. I’ve met a lot of cool people. Overall, it went above my expectations.

LPH:  Yeah, it’s a 10.

RR: Anything surprising?

Scott Anderson: How big it is.

ISA:  Yeah, I came from a small high school—

LPH:  He only had 46 in his graduating class.

ISA:  —So it’s been great. I get to meet a lot of people.

RR: What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done so far?

SA: Going to Annenberg.

LPH:  No, probably that cooking class. We got to watch through the window.

RR: What’s been your favorite part about Harvard?

SA: Probably the Old Yard.

LPH:  The oldest buildings are our favorite. The older the better.

RR: Where were you most excited to bring your parents?

IA: I think they like Annenberg.

LPH:  We basically have to go wake him up in his dorm to get him to do anything (laughs), but his dorm is great.

ISA: Stoughton.

LPH:  Yeah, we love Stoughton.