Connecting the Family to your “New Home”
Five places to take your family in order to get them involved in your college life
—By Madeline Bough, Shaw Young, and Lily Kappa
The family is finally fed up with you putting off their visit and is coming up for the weekend to check out what campus is like. But how are you supposed to give the family a taste of the college experience without taking them to a frat? What if your younger sibling shows up too? What else is there to do with parents besides taking them to overpriced restaurants? There are sure to be obstacles when planning your time together. This list should provide you with a range of activities to do with the family, so you don’t have to spend any more time thinking than you already do as a college student.
When you want Mom and Dad to think you’re smart
Do you have helicopter parents? Even after the official eighteenth birthday and highschool diploma, they still need to know what you are doing and how you are doing in school. A simple solution to your helicopter problem can be found at the CCCB or Central Campus Classroom Building.The CCCB houses empty classrooms by the dozens that will get your parents to think “Wow, I raised a lifelong learner”, and awe them to silence. Don’t be fooled though, they’re contemplating why their hard-earned money is going towards huge classrooms filled with futuristic gadgets—including the m-block mic that you can toss around to ask questions. Your parents’ panic will eventually subside though and in the eerily empty CCCB classroom an unspoken feeling of accomplishment will be shared between both of you.
For the family historians….or geeks
Was your dad a gamer back in the day? Is your older brother or sister one currently? Are you forced to do family fun time back at home that consists of board or card games? Well you and your family are in luck because right in the Shapiro Library, the University of Michigan has the Computer and Video game Archive (CVGA). Head up to the 4th floor and follow the signs that lead to the room filled to the brim with games. Some games date back all the way to the 1980s, that’s right 70s babies there is Frogger! Most students miss out on this gem but those who take advantage of it get memorable experiences, Natalie Estereicher Solano, an aerospace engineer major at the University of Michigan, spoke to her experience saying, “I haven’t played some of those games in years, it was so nostalgic, I loved it.” All you have to do is make a reservation for a console/space, check out a game, and get playing between 12pm and 7pm. This easily could be a fun activity for the whole family to do or you can leave your pesky sibling in there and get working on your long list of assignments in the library.
For the parents that like to tell you “it’s always that darn phone”
Though coffee shops in Ann Arbor may be filled with students on laptops looking for a cozy environment to do homework, this unique coffee shop does not allow screens on their main tables in order to encourage good old fashioned conversation. For a quaint, high quality hot cup of joe, head on down to Comet Coffee. Located in an Ann Arbor landmark—Nichols Arcade—there are lots of excursions to be made when your caffeine kicks in. We deem this place parent-approved, as this small coffee shop is what a certified University of Michigan mother called “the closest you can get to a local European cafe in the Midwest.” Feel free to ask the baristas for suggestions, as they are true coffee lovers and would love to help you decide between their specialty coffees and small batch offerings.This parent-approved coffee shop will be sure to impress.
When you want to show them some really old stuff
Michigan is a place of innovation, restoration, and above all else, construction. However, amongst all of this new stuff lies a collection of some of the finest old stuff the world has to offer. Don’t skip the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology on your Ann Arbor tour, as it is one of the lesser known attractions. Located near the University of Michigan Museum of Art (the UMMA), the Kelsey holds ancient Egyptian mummies, Roman tablets, Mesopotamian jewelry, and much more. As a bonus, if your younger siblings are joining your parents on their visit, the museum offers kids’ scavenger hunts. The museum is filled with objects found on archaeology digs by University of Michigan staff, many of whom teach undergraduate classes—providing the perfect opportunity for your parents to bug you about planning your classes for your next 24 semesters. Between pondering ancient art and prying about future plans, what is a parent not to love about the opportunities at the Kelsey museum?
For the parent who wants to feel young again
If your parents’ visit tends to be filled with “back in my day” stories, give them what they really came for and take them down to Graffiti Alley to relive the 90s. Tucked between East Liberty and State Street, this colorful alley is a constantly changing canvas of spray paint, providing the perfect mix of nostalgia and sightseeing. Your parents will want lots of pictures on their visit, so adding Graffiti Alley to your itinerary would provide a fun background and might even make the Facebook profile! Graffiti Alley hosts the work of local artists—including but not limited to that guy from your math class and your Starbucks barista. If your parents’ nostalgic stories are filled with a bit of rule-breaking, feel free to take part in the shenanigans and contribute to the wall! There’s nothing like a bit of legal vandalism to cure your parents’ “getting older blues.”
Feature Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Cold latte in a glass cup by Demi DeHerrera on Unsplash