Beginning today, the Junior Parents Weekend Executive Committee welcomes the families of the of the Class of 2004 as they arrive from around the country to share in their children's academic and social lives at Notre Dame.

Carrying the theme "Wherever We Go … God, Country, Notre Dame," the weekend joins First Year Student Orientation and Commencement as the three times when parents are honored guests on campus and are able to experience the Notre Dame community first-hand.

The weekend will include a number of different activities designed to expose parents to their student's life both inside and outside of the classroom. Festivities kick off tonight with the "Bright Lights of the Big City" Gala at the Joyce Center, a celebration for juniors and their families that will include music, dancing and hors d'oeuvres.

Saturday begins with academic workshops sponsored by the colleges of Arts and Letters, Engineering, Science and the Mendoza College of Business.

These workshops will offer an opportunity for parents to learn more about what goes on in the classrooms of Notre Dame.

Following the academic workshops, each hall will be hosting a luncheon for both in-hall residents and those former residents who have since moved off-campus. This is a chance for parents to meet and socialize with their son's or daughter's dorm friends and hall staff. A special mass follows at 5:30 p.m. with an address by University President Father Edward Malloy. Saturday ends with the "Star Spangled" Dinner in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse, an event that will include live entertainment and an address by Malloy, the guest of honor.

The weekend comes to a close on Sunday with the "Home Sweet Dome" Brunch, held in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse. Highlights will include a special guest speaker and entertainment provided by members of the Class of 2004 and other University groups.

Meghan O'Donnell, junior class president and a featured keynote speaker at Saturday's "Star Spangled" Dinner, said that she's "really looking forward to spending time with her friend's parents and learning more about the environments they came from. The weekend should prove to be a wonderful time for juniors to share a bit of their Notre Dame experience with their families.

"Our parents only come to campus a few times, so this is a great opportunity to show them the lives that we've built here for ourselves," O'Donnell said.

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