More than 800 parents, relatives and friends of sophomores will flood Hanover this weekend for two days of organized activities.
Sophomore Family Weekend officially begins on Thursday when 70 family members will stay at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge for "a night of ghost stories and square dancing," according to the schedule.
The weekend, planned by members of the Class of 1996, is for family members to "get a flavor for the Sophomore summer and the Dartmouth experience, and have a great time with their ninety-sixes," said Class Vice President Tom Caputo, one of the organizers.
"We are certainly excited we have an unprecedented number of parents, family members and friends attending the weekend," he said.
Class President Brendan Doherty, Leslie Jennings '96 and Christopher Marston '96 were the other members of the committee formed in the beginning of the Winter term.
"We have had a ton of fun putting it together with the people," Caputo said. "It was a monstrous task."
The majority of the family members arrive for Sophomore Family Weekend on Friday when they can register between 5 in the afternoon and 8. For those arriving late, registration will also be held in the morning on Saturday from 9 until 11.
After registration on Friday, the family members will be treated to a reception in Collis Common Ground with "munchies" and music from 9 p.m. to 11, Caputo said.
On Saturday, the committee rented the canoes from the Ledyard Canoe Club where it will host a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. for the early risers until 10.
Caputo said because many parents would like to see what language drill is like, six or seven language drills will be held from 9 until 9:45 in the morning.
Like Freshman Parents Weekend in the spring, family members can attend one of eight different seminars lead by professors from different departments.
French Professor John Rassias, known for his classroom antics and enlivened teaching style, will teach a seminar and Provost Lee Bollinger, an expert in First Amendment Constitutional Law will present, "The Campus and the First Amendment."
Caputo said all the seminar professors are men because "all the women turned down our requests." He said the committee tried to have an equal gender ratio.
In the afternoon on Saturday, a barbecue will be held on the Tuck Mall where the Summerphonics will perform.
At 1:30, Dean of Faculty James Wright and Dean of Graduate Studies Susan Wright will lead a discussion titled, "Major Confusion," in Collis Common Ground.
Caputo said the session is planned "to put parents at ease about what major their child has chosen."
At 9 p.m., a hypnotist will mesmerize parents and students in Webster Hall as the weekend's main entertainment event.
