An 8 a.m. wake-up call. The first taste of Antonio’s pizza. A two-hour walking tour of campus in the sweltering humidity. The first horrific UCard picture. Making the friends of a lifetime. Freshman orientation is the first taste of college life that incoming students have at the University of Massachusetts. It is exciting and liberating, allowing many of us to experience what life on our own would be like. However, this coming summer, the invitations to summer sessions are being extended to more than just newly accepted high school seniors.
That’s right kids. This summer, Mommy and Daddy will be crashing freshman orientation.
It seems that freshman orientation is no longer solely focused on the student, according to UMass administration. Parental satisfaction is quickly climbing to the top of the priority list. Freshman parents will be invited to attend information sessions, tour the campus, and even stay overnight in luxurious University accommodations. But where does that leave the students? Forget the late night campus romps, co-ed room parties, and walks to Antonio’s. The development, growth, and outright fun that freshman orientation is supposed to entail will now be squelched under watchful eyes of Moms and Pops.
The idea is the brainchild of Michael Gargano, vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life, the Office of Parent Services and the New Students Program is inviting parents to attend the full two days of orientation with their college-bound child. “[The parents] will actually become engaged,” said Gargano at the Faculty Senate meeting on March 11.
Engaged in what, is the question.
According to Gargano, one answer is “skits.” Part of the new orientation process will include the planning and performing of three to four minute parent-student skits, which will address issues commonly faced by college students, such as eating disorders, roommate conflicts, campus security, and the code of academic integrity.
“We hope [the skits] will set expectations for student conduct and behavior,” said Gargano.
Gargano believes that by engaging parents in the college experience, it will help prevent the chronic problems the University has been suffering from, such as alcohol abuse.
“This is not just an alcohol problem,” said Gargano. “[We want to] change the culture of the institution and the student behavior of the institution. It didn’t begin overnight and won’t go away overnight.”
Now this idea is very warm and fuzzy – in a group therapy sense. What better a way for the University to demonstrate it does not expect its new students to handle adult responsibilities? Force them to convey ideas by using the same tactics they used to learn about puberty in middle school. Alcohol abuse has never been prevented through interpretive dance.
If the UMass administration expects students to consider its code of conduct seriously, it will promote its expectations in an adult manner -the same that students expect to receive while paying for an adult education.
Perhaps Gargano’s idea does have a few reasonable points. Parents who are shelling out big bucks for a college education want to be involved in the new life of their financial investment – their kid. Granted, the parental groups at orientation are supposed to be distracted by University informational sessions as students register for classes and have advisor meetings – but what about the other 23 hours of the day?
It seems doubtful that the Office of Parent Services ever actually polled the parents of students. If they had, they would most likely learn that many parents pay UMass to take away the nuisance that has brought a good deal of pain and suffering into their lives for the last 18 years. Parents do not want to take time off of work, vacation, and life come to a summer orientation at the non-air conditioned University, to babysit a group of 18 and 19 year olds.
It’s an old hat folks. If you subject a group of people to stringent regulations and constant monitoring, the more likely they are to rebel – possibly in the form of alcohol abuse, violence, and riotous behavior. And while Gargano prepares to play kindergarten cop, his ideas to prevent student revelry may eventually become his own undoing.
Perhaps Office of Parent Services administration should take the time to enroll in a few psychology department courses. They’d learn that at the age of 18, the ideals and morals of an individual are more or less set in stone. Convincing parents to give a week out of their lives to give a pre-college lecture about drugs, sex, and rock ‘n’ roll will not prevent another Super Bowl riot.
Erika Lovley is a Collegian columnist.
