2C 10.02.

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the daily eastern news
www.dennews.com

drinking

Photo Illustration by Alycia Rockey | The Daily Eastern News

Throughout Family Weekend expect to see moms, dads and other family members out and about in the Charleston night life.

Sharing a drink
with mom and dad
Family Weekend de-
scends upon Eastern’s cam-
pus today, swarming
the campus with moms,
dads and siblings alike.
While the under-
age undergraduate rejoic-
es in the notion of stock-
ing his mini fridge, the
21-and-older crowd takes
a different approach to
the parental handout.
After the age of 21, the
main appeal of being among
parents comes from the
idea that you are either
broke or extremely broke.
Mom and dad have seen
your dorm or off-campus
place, met three years worth
of friends, and surveyed the
campus more than once.
Now, they are ready to
gain a real taste of night-
life in the Chuck.
Once the sun sets, student
and parents shed their fam-
ily persona and morph into
long lost drinking buddies.
The bitter phrase “Get
your grades up” becomes a
series of hoots and hollers
from a cocktail-doused dad.
This occasion gives the stu-
dent a break from spending
his hard-earned loan dollars
Cari Wafford
or his precious part-time pay.
Loverboy said, “Every-
body’s working for the week-
end” and who knows that
phrase better than a parent
who lived in the 1980s and
has an extensive credit line
or at least a full-time job.
Perhaps the student
could take this opportuni-
ty to enlighten mom and
dad what four years of tu-
ition has paid for thus far.
Studying French?
Teach mom the differ-
ence between a Merlot and
a Cabernet Sauvignon. She
will be impressed by the ded-
ication to your studies and
the ability to speak a for-
eign language after drink-
ing from a box of wine.
Construction man-
agement major?
Prove to dad his mon-
ey wasn’t wasted. Nothing
shows determination and
hard work more than the
beer pong table you con-
structed last year, with cup
holders and flashing lights.
With our population of
talented students, impressed
isn’t the word for the par-
ents of a music major.
Moms will squeal in sheer
delight after experienc-
ing the local music scene
with performances from
Mugwump Specific, Lit-
tle Boy Junior and the Staff
Blues Band this weekend.
All in all, Family Week-
end will stand as a gold-
en opportunity for all.
To my fellow class-
mates: Choose your cel-
ebration locale wisely.
Everyone knows a long
line at any bar or res-
taurant results in a bit-
ter, sober parent, and no-
body wants to see that.
Cari Wafford can be reached
at 581-7942 or
cmwafford@eiu.edu

STAFF
Verge editor
Krystal Moya
Assistant Verge editor
the daily eastern news’
weekly arts and entertainment magazine

Brad York
Staff reporters
Kate Vandermeer, Neil Schneider, Megan
CONTACT US Tkacy, Kate Vandermeer, Cari Wafford
(217) 581-7943
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