Fun fact: Brown has the largest number of a cappella groups per capita of any university (thanks, handy dandy tour guide packet).  Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that a cappella is huge here, filling our campus’s many arches with sweet music, impressive beat boxing, and sometimes drunken pirates.

There are a few times each year when the majority of a cappella groups on campus take advantage of the opportunity to perform for as many people as possible – during orientation, freshmen flock like flies; prior to auditions, anyone who can sing (and even some who can’t) are curious.  But Family Weekend is when they break out the big guns, and it can be a little overwhelming deciding which groups you want to see.  To help you out, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to a cappella at Brown – here’s what you can expect from each of the many groups.

Friday, October 14^th

Harmo and the Ursa Minors’ Parents Weekend Concert!: 8:00-9:30pm, Salomon 001

Ursa Minors: One of several all-female a cappella groups.  The Ursas generally achieve a uniform look by wearing all black, and they perform lots of popular, contemporary music.  They also hold the honor of being the only Brown a cappella group whose name is also an astronomy pun.

Harmonic Motion: Made up of both Brown and RISD students.  They’re definitely the most artsy of the groups, from their haircuts to their outfits to their song selections – which are unique but still wildly entertaining.

Shades of Brown Fall Concert: 8:00pm, Hunter 100

Shades of Brown: In true Brown spirit, Shades of Brown is a multicultural a cappella group with a varied repertoire and equally diverse members.  The group sings songs “in the African American tradition,” [via] and incorporates lots of different styles of music.  Three cheers for diversity!  [Read more →]

Family Weekend’s coming, so for those whose parents love ‘em enough to visit (really, mom? I know you can afford the plane ticket) they can look forward to all the fun, family-y things to come: Passive aggressive parents, extorting food from your loved ones, and lying on the spot about how we spend our weekends (or weekdays, for that matter).

But before you are all unhappy-in-our-own-ways, it’s time for you guys to finally do some housekeeping (beyond flipping the blankets over or throwing a pillow on top – that doesn’t count as changing your bedding). So calm down; hide yo’ cans, hide yo’ weed. Here’s your Family Weekend 2011 Cheat Sheet for what you have to do.

[Read more →]

Family Weekend banter, translated:

“Mm, your father and I are trying to find hotels for May … any suggestions?”
You are graduating in May! Did you forget this? We did not.

“So, have you started thinking about, you know, next year…?”
OHMYGOD. Our darling little child is graduating with zero marketable skills! What has s/he been doing all this time?

“You know, honey, I think your mother has finally gotten over the whole empty nest thing.”
Please, oh please, oh please do not move back home. We have turned your bedroom into a love nest.  [Read more →]

We all know and love the best weekend of the year: Family Weekend.  Upperclassmen look fondly back on the time when their parents would visit for a couple of days to replenish snacks, buy new clothes for the upcoming bitter months and look for excuses to pawn useless dorm necessities off on us.

Often, parents will try and utilize this opportunity to relive their college years while simultaneously bonding with their now-adult children.  Read: they want to eat in the dining hall.  And to that, we must be strong! Be principled! Stand up for yourself and for all that tastes good in the world! Demand food off-campus before it’s too late and you start to notice leftovers being served in the Ratty three days in a row.  Providence was named the third best city for foodies in America [via], and now is the time to take advantage ofeducate your parents on some of the wonderful food offered here.  Let them drive you wherever your their heart desires and bask in the glory of the foodie-heaven that is Providence.  Even if fancy food isn’t your style, at least use this weekend as an opportunity to get off Thayer Street.  I know we thought that Paragon would never get old, but alas…

Pricey-but-worth-it Dinner

• Al Forno Restaurant, www.alforno.com, 577 South Main Street, Providence, (401) 273-9760

Made famous by their amazing appetizer pizza, this classy (and relatively pricey) Italian restaurant is first-rate.  Just a hop, skip and jump away from Whisky Republic, this restaurant truly offers some of the best Italian food that can be found on this side of the Atlantic. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Al Forno does NOT take reservations, is fairly small and fills up FAST: plan accordingly.  [Read more →]

Family Weekend is always kind of a weird time on campus. If your parents are here, you’re probably trying to simultaneously prove you’re fine on your own, get them to buy you things, impress them with all the cool things you do on campus and hide half a semester’s worth of beer bottles. If they’re not here, you’re probably either feeling sorry for yourself or laughing at all the kids dragging their parents around the Green. Whether you need a way to entertain your parents or yourself without them, take advantage of the fact that practically every student group on campus is putting on a show of some sort this weekend.

Shakespeare on the Green’s “King Lear”
5:00 P.M.
The Quiet Green
Shakespeare on the Green is promising both sword fighting and hot chocolate for this performance, which happen to be two of my favorite things.
Should you take your parents? Are they Shakespeare fans? Are they willing to sit outside on the grass for two hours without complaining? If so, by all means take them. Otherwise, get your culture fix at 3C2C.

Talk the Tock… Walk the Wock
Salomon 101
8:00 P.M.
$5 for you, $8 for your parents
I just spent five minutes trying to decide if I pronounce “talk” and “tock” the same way, which is about four minutes and fifty-five seconds longer than it should be (although I’m willing to bet you just tried it yourself). The Jabberwocks and the Chattertocks both always deliver quality performances, and I still have the ‘Wocks’ version of “F*** You” stuck in my head, so by all means, hurry over!
Should you take your parents? Yes. A cappella concerts are (usually) fun, wholesome and culture-y: three things that your parents want to picture when they think of you at college. The illusion doesn’t hurt anyone, so why spoil it for them?

3C2C
T.F. Green Hall
8:00 P.M.
Free
“Three Chairs Two Cubes” is a festival of short plays and skits written / directed / acted in by students. Some are always better than others, but the balance usually evens out the positive side. This year’s 3C2C features Klondike Bars, gladiators and parent-teacher conferences.
Should you take your parents? If you don’t feel like braving the chilly New England weather for Shakespeare on the Green, 3C2C is a good way to stay inside and still show off the best of Brown’s creativity.

Fall in Providence — Anne Simons / BlogDailyHerald

We’ve all been there. Students happily leading parents with giant cameras around campus, showing off their growing knowledge of their school. Parents gazing adoringly at their astonishingly capable students. Parents taking their kids to dinner or to the mall. It can be hard if you feel like the only one whose family couldn’t come for the weekend. Here’s some advice to drive away the non-family Weekend blues:

Get away
If the presence of happily reunited families is bumming you out and you have a free day, take the train up to Boston for a day. Stay out of the vicinity of Boston University though — their Parents Weekend is the same as ours.

Hibernate
It’s the perfect excuse to sleep, watch movies, eat crap foods and, if you’re really serious, get some work done. Just hide out in your dorm or the library. Yes, it’s still a little depressing, but at least at the end of the weekend you’ll have gotten some sleep or made progress on your task-list.

Mooch
Got a roommate or suitemate or best friend whose parents are coming? Casually let them know you’re available for lunch or dinner any time they’d suggest. Hint that you’ve really been wanting to go to Target, IKEA or Trader Joe’s but can’t because you don’t have a car. Maybe they’ll take pity on you.

If all else fails, just avoid Thayer and Providence Place.

Courtesy of Awkward Family Photos

Let’s face it, the merging of your college life and family culture can often times result in catastrophe.  Here are a few situations that we recommend you try to steer clear of, if possible:

1. Dad attempts to speak to your Hispanic roommate in broken and insultingly horrific Spanish. Awkwardo.
2. Mom sports a fanny pack and insists to refer to huge campus map while walking around. Classic.
3. At dinner (if Asian restaurant = wokward), you and your family wind up sitting next to the family of someone with whom you have a sexual history. Cockward.
4. If you’re a guy: family member finds a sticky remnant of a lonely night. Sockward.
5. Your pre-teen brother/sister (what a punk) changes your Facebook status to something personal and embarrassing. Social Netwarkward.
6. Dad finds your piece. Game.
7. Mom finds a used condom while making your bed. Set.
8. Younger sibling sees the used condom that Mom discovers. Match.

Advice:

Prepare properly for the arrival of your family. If, however, your family doesn’t love you and will not be here this weekend, be on the lookout for these awkward episodes all over campus and relish them.

Fall in Providence — Anne Simons / BlogDailyHerald

C’mon. Let’s face it. You all probably have some illicit materials in your room, things you’d rather your parents didn’t see. Or if not, maybe you just want to keep up the illusion that you’ve got your life together. So here are a few tips for making your room parent-friendly.

Put away the alcohol.
This one will depend on your situation. Maybe you’re 21. Maybe your family doesn’t care that you drink and keep alcohol. Maybe your family frowns upon drinking. Maybe they don’t even know you drink! Just take your own situation into account. If you know you’re not supposed to be drinking, but away the sticky handles of Karkov and the 30 racks for the weekend. Be sure any drinking accessories, like martini shakers, shot glasses, corkscrews and obvious mixers are out of sight too. Nobody actually drinks tonic water unless it has gin or vodka in it.

Follow after the jump for more hints! [Read more →]

Fall in Providence — Anne Simons / BlogDailyHerald

Supposedly Brown students don’t leave the campus area as often as we should. (Wait, there are other streets besides Thayer?) You and your family may be tired of looking around the Brown campus and Thayer Street, so check out these slightly off Thayer destinations.

For everyone:
Historic crap on College Hill: Just walk around and absorb that historic atmosphere in the beautiful fall weather. And we mean crap in the best way possible.

The State House: They give tours, right? Go see what the RI legislature is up to these days.

Follow after the jump to [Read more →]

Fall in Providence — Anne Simons / BlogDailyHerald

Family Weekend 2010 is almost upon us. Fall is in the air, the sun will be shining (almost the whole weekend), and kids and parents alike may be wondering how to negotiate the social ritual that is Family Weekend. Well, don’t worry. BlogDaily Herald is here to help. Look for our posts over the next few days to get you ready for the weekend.

We’re only talking about a few of the University’s many events for this weekend, but you can see the University’s (partial) list of the events for yourself.

Follow after the jump for our take.
[Read more →]