Halloween weekend is notably one of the craziest party weekends at the University of Iowa. Parent’s weekend is also a highly anticipated weekend at UI because students get to reunite with their families. Which weekend do students look forward to the most? Looks like they won’t have to choose because both just happen to fall on the same weekend this year.
The University of Iowa made the choice in scheduling parent’s weekend on the same weekend as Halloween for reasons that have not been confirmed by their representatives. When trying to contact Tom Moore, the spokesperson for the university, I was left answer-less. I, along with many other students, believe that it’s an attempt by the university to eliminate the #2 party school reputation and make sure that we don’t reach the #1 slot again.
“I think it was a strategic move that the university did to lower the amount of drinking that occurs on Halloween weekend,” said Adrian Thompson, a UI senior and campus correspondent of the Her Campus Iowa chapter. “However, I really don’t think it’s going to stop the partying. Some parents might join in on the fun, but probably not many. Moms and dads aren’t going to want to see their daugher dressed as a sexy nurse.”
Families make their plans for parent’s weekend weeks in advance, sometimes months. A lot can get invested in the weekend including plane tickets, hotel arrangements, football game tickets, dinner reservations, campus tours…the list goes on. Taylor Domino, a UI senior and fellow Her Campus writer, thinks this is a poor attempt by the university at trying to manage students and feels that it won’t have a major effect on the amount of families that come visit their students.
“Parents weekend is a big deal for a lot of parents. Some look forward to it for months, so of course many of them will still participate,” said Taylor. “I think it will have more of an effect on students changing their evening plans than parents not coming in.”
This may definitely be the case because some students haven’t seen their families since the start of the school year, especially out-of-state students and they’ll most likely sacrifice a weekend of partying to spend time with the people they really miss.
However, some students may incorporate their families into their party plans and find a way to make both work. Turning up with their parents is a dream for many students, and it will be most interesting to see how some parents interact in the bar scene and try to fit in with the college crowd.
On the other hand, some students would prefer to have their families visit on a different weekend so they can participate in the Halloween festivities and not have to worry about their families being around such a crazy atmosphere.
“Halloween weekend is super crazy to begin with, and friends who are visiting make it that much more packed downtown,” said Sami Jo Siedband, a UI senior. “Although this makes for a fun time for college students, I don’t think it’s the best environment for parents visiting their kids.”
Another problem with this set up is that alot of parents have younger children who want to be home for Halloween and trick-or-treating. Stephanie Bennett, a UI sophomore and fellow Her Campus writer made a great point when talking about this.
“The school will probably experience a low attendance rate with parents because they have other kids who want to be home for trick-or-treating,” said Stephanie. “And if parents are here, who will be home to hand out Halloween candy. It’s one of the most important jobs that parents have!”
Only time will tell what the outcome of that weekend will be. Whether students choose to celebrate Halloween by partying with friends, only spending time with their families, or doing a bit of both, the university will probably not succeed in lowering the party rate. Hawkeyes like to turn up, and that’s just how it’ll always be.