[Chronicle]

Oct. 18, 2001
Vol. 21 No. 3

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    Parents will sample academic life at University Oct. 26 through 28

    By Carrie Golus
    News Office

    In the wake of the Tuesday, Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, politicians from both parties have demanded that the federal government take responsibility for air travel security. Meanwhile, with a recession now seeming inevitable, Democrats want to increase government spending, Republicans prefer to cut taxes and the Federal Reserve continues to cut short-term interest rates.

    Allen Sanderson, Senior Lecturer in Economics and the College, will explain in a model class titled “September 11, 2001 and the Economic Aftermath,” the reasoning behind these assertions, which he finds flawed. The class is one of 20 to be offered as part of Parents Weekend, which begins Friday, Oct. 26, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 28.

    “Shifting air travel security functions to the public sector would probably decrease the level of safety, as well as waste resources,” Sanderson said. “And while both major parties want the federal government and the Federal Reserve System to act promptly to restore economic growth, these ideas are being driven by political interests, not economic ones, and ultimately would do more harm than good,” he added. Sanderson’s model class, which also will treat the impact of wars on nations’ economies, will be offered Saturday, Oct. 27.

    Throughout the weekend, parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family members are invited to campus to discover and sample the academic life at the University.

    Other classes to be offered Saturday, Oct. 27, include “The Immunology of Pestilence,” a 21st-century look at the microbiology and immunology of the Black Death, taught by Jose Quintans, Professor in Pathology and the College. Sidney Nagel, the Stein-Freiler Distinguished Service Professor in Physics and the College, will teach “Physics at the Breakfast Table,” an exploration of common phenomena, such as those observed at a breakfast table, which are of technological importance and can lead the inquisitive into new realms of physics. Starkey Duncan, Professor in Psychology and the College, will teach “Non-verbal communication,” a brief introduction to these complex, sometimes counterintuitive interactions.

    Parents also may register to attend classes in the Humanities Division, offered in conjunction with the Humanities Open House (see related article, Page 5).

    In addition to taking advantage of academic offerings during Parents Weekend, parents can learn about the support networks provided for undergraduate students. The Financial Aid Office, Career and Placement Services, Academic Advising and Study Abroad Office all will be open for parents’ questions on Friday, Oct. 26.

    Tours also will be offered on Friday, Oct. 26, including those of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art and the campus. Parents also may stop by an open rehearsal with the Motet Choir from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Later that afternoon, parents may join President Randel and his wife, Carol, for tea at their residence from 4 to 5 p.m. (for those with last names beginning with A through K) and from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (for L through Z).

    Randel, an expert on Renaissance and medieval polyphony, will deliver the lecture “Music and Poetry” on the intimate and variable relationship between these two art forms. His Humanities Open House keynote address will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Later that afternoon, parents may attend a reception held by the Resident Masters of their student’s hall of residence.

    John Boyer, Dean of the College, will host a brunch from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 28. Boyer will address parents and students in a short speech scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

    Later that day, parents may take in any activities they may have missed, including the Career and Placement Services Open House, Study Abroad Open House, Smart Museum Tour, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel Tour or Campus Tour. From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., parents can visit the Oriental Institute and attend a screening of Cleopatra: Destiny’s Queen.

    The registration fee for the weekend is $35 per adult; siblings under the age of 18 may attend free of charge.

    For more information or to register, contact Sara Wolfson, Assistant Director of College Programming, at (773) 834-8961 or go to http://parentsweekend.uchicago.edu.