By Brooks Berish

Assistant supplements editor

Mom’s Day is more than just an excuse to hang out with your mom all weekend; it’s an opportunity to show our Illini moms the school that we have all gotten to know so well.

When I call my parents, I give them a run-down of my most recent notable activities, but I have realized that describing it to them over the phone is nothing like showing them in person. This is why I will be using Mom’s Day to show my mom first-hand what I have been up to. This not only allows me to brag about my achievements, but it also administers a sense of reality that would not have otherwise been instilled with a distant weekly phone call.

Even when my parents do come and visit, we tend to resume the same general schedule. I show them around campus and we then go and get something to eat. Walking the family up and down the quad might be great way to show off the beautiful campus, but it doesn’t really do much else besides maybe giving them an idea of what it is like to walk to class every day.

There are numerous events and activities scheduled for the weekend that go beyond just showing off the aesthetics and architecture of our campus, and instead give our mothers a sense of cohesion that we students are able to experience here on campus.

I’m not saying that you should take your mom out to bars (that’s your responsibility), just get her involved a little more. The Mom’s Association coordinates the main events happening on mom’s weekend. Along with several fun activities, they have a brunch and an awards ceremony.

If those mainstream events do not interest you, there are other organizations to branch out to as well. For example, if you are involved in Greek life here on campus, it is possible that they may have something organized for the moms when they come down.

My fraternity, Kappa Delta Rho, has been hosting Mom’s weekend events exclusively for the fraternity brothers and their mothers for many years. The fact that I joined a fraternity may have shown my parents that I was getting more involved at school, but they really didn’t understand what that represented to me.

These more interpersonal events can allow the mothers a chance to actually interact with the other moms and students to become an active member of the Illini community for a weekend. However, the Greek Life system is just one niche of our campus community, so it is important to expand your horizons and find what interests you.

One does not just have to depend on the pre-organized events to keep their moms busy. Green Street will probably be bustling with people on Friday and Saturday, and getting a table at a local restaurant or a bar during its height hours would be a great way to show your mom the eclectic night life that the University has to offer.

If your mom is coming down to spend some time with her dearly beloved over Mom’s Day, then take advantage of the special events going on or get her involved around campus not only to avoid boredom, but also to engage her in the thorough Illini education taught beyond the walls of our lecture halls.

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