44 - Sunday, August 31, 1986 - North Shore News

Lifestyles

PARENTS SHOW THEIR CONCERN

Delivering kids to college

DEAR READERS — Soon the highways will be clogged
with what appear to be mobile yard sales. In addition to
bulging with oddly assorted junk, these automobiles will
each have, squeezed in the back amid the pillows and re-
cords and cartons, one teenager.

It is the annual rite by which
parents deliver freshmen to college
or university.

Invitations to skip this event,
issued by the freshmen, should be
ignored. They all believe that
sophisticated classmates will arrive
alone, and they will be the only
ones exhibiting childish
dependence by arriving en-
cumbered with fond adults. They
are all mistaken.

“You can't live on junk food
and expect to be able to concen-
trate."

“You don't have to dress tike a
slob just because everybody else
does.”*

“Remember, plan ahead — you
don't want to be one of those peo-
ple who don't even look at
assignments until just before
they're due.”

“See? There’s a washer and a

miss
manners

by Judith Martin

Freshman registration is as nec-
essary tO parents as graduation.
The very occasion that provides
them with one provides them with
one last ritualistic fuss demon-
strates to them the hopelessness of
continuing their routine parental
supervision long-distance.

It is true that the air will be fill-
ed with desperate, last-minute
pleas:

“Promise me you won't skip
breakfast.”

“You know you need plenty of
sleep. You'll just have to tell your
roommates that, so they’ll be
quiet.’’

SAVE 50%

% ALL SUMMER CLOTHING
50% OFF

+ Park Royal South (gallery level)

Open Sundays 12-5

dryer right here in the basement.”

“T expect you to get a rounded
education, not just pick courses
you happen to jike."'

But listen to the tone. The
parents know the futility of what
they are saying. And any child who
takes this as an opportunity to
argue, who replies anything at all
except a kindly ‘‘Don’t worry
about me -~ I'll be fine’’ is not
mature enough for college.

The entire event will, in fact, be
an exercise in etiquette for the
freshman. The most appreciative
and loving child in the world will
find it a trial. No matter how close

FRENCH FOLDAWAY
HIGHCHAIRS

549%

KK OO

& BUGGIES
THIS WEEKEND ONLY

of
%
| 20% OFF *

*

« seein A
iy | OF

ae

World*

925-2810 »-

the family is or how homesick the
freshman may get the day after
parents leave, he or she is going to
be impatient for their departure.

The only comparative experietce
is being seen off on a ship.
Especially in the days when ships
were a major transportation and
when trips were slower, it was cus-
tomary to have one’s relations and
friends come aboard. It was all
very jolly for a drink or two, with
everyone jammed up in the cabin,
but then the visitors would get
nervous about leaving on time, and
the passengers anxious to get a
look at other passengers. People
often cried at the All Ashore call,
but partly with relief.

The final scene would be when
visitors stood on the dock while
the passengers leaned over the rail,
all of them making gestures in-
comprehensible to the others ex-
cept for the one of pointing at the
ear and then shrugging.

‘*Why don't they go in, so we
can go home?" the visitors were
actually saying, out of earshot.

“Why don’t they go home, so
we can go in?’’ the passengers were
murmuring beneath their smiles.

And it would be false to say that
these people couldn’: really care
for one another or weren’t sorry,
perhaps even devasted, to be sepa-
rated. But those who are travelling
find that their minds are already
racing ahead, and those who are
staying home are thinking about
returning to normal.

Nevertheless, not acting out the
fond departure, on campus as on
shipboard, would be both rude and
emotionally insatisfying later. A
freshman who actually succeeds in

ILAC Appliance

we Service
All Major
and Small Appliances

20% Off
All repairs until
Dec. 31, 1986.

e Free estimates
e In-home service
e Parts for all makes

Bring your vacuum
cleaner In for servicing

937-7336

1825 Lonsdale Ave.
North Vancouver

CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER
NO CHANGE IN GARBAGE SCHEDULE
abour Day, Monday, September 1, 198

Garbage will be collected.” -

Monday, September 1, 1986 as usual

keeping his parents from. atten-
ding, or one whose parents have
their own good reasons not to, is
likely to come up with the blatant-

ly unfair charge that they don’t care.

tt behooves the freshman to in-
troduce his parents to everyone he
meets and to show them, as much
as he can, the places where he will
be living, eating and studying. He
is obligated to listen to their advice
and to their cwn_ reminiscences
abou! school.

Since it is his temporary home,
he is host and must do the honors,
rather than rushing off to begin his
new life while they are there.

They, in turn, should be ready
go folle-y his suggestions about ac-

tivities, behave politely but formal-
ly to others (that means not giving
his roommates parental instruc-
tions, telling a proctor to take
special care of him or using a
childhood nickname that its owner
finally has hopes of living down)
and spend some time chatting with
the other parents to give the
freshman an opportunity to talk to
his classmates.

It also means assuming the
primary obligation of the guest,
which is not to linger but go home
when it’s time to go home. Argu-
ments against doing so are to be
taken no more seriously than
arguments against delivering the
freshman to college.

WEST VAN OTTERS SWIM CLUB

The West Vancouver Otters Swim Club is a com-
petitive swim club offering instruction and train-
ing fer novice to national level swimmers (ages
7-25). In a club atmosphere of camaraderie and
fun the program provides the opportunity for
each swimmer to develop to their potential.

This fall again promises to be an exciting time
under the leadership of our Head Coach,
Richard Gate, who has previously worked with
Canada’s top ranked national coaches and
clubs. Club registration will be on Sept. 4, 6-8

p.m. at the Rec Centre.

The Otters will be offaving a free 2 week Fall
Swim Camp for new swiz.amers. This season will
allow swimmers to “tryout” .:ur program befcre

. formally registering.

Enquiries should be directed to:

Sharon Creed
Sandy Cullen

926-8037
926-4340

West Van Otters

Swiia

BACK TO SCHOOL

SPECIALS

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

White C

Girls and Boys

ourt Shoes

$ 14.99 (sugg. retail $25.00)

2S

Ladies and Mens $16.99 (sug. serait $29.00)

Sneakers

Girls and Infant

Ladies

$ 6 . 9 9 {sugg. retail $10.00)
$ 7 . 99 {sugg, retail $12.00)

SHOE FACTORY OUTLET
229 MOUNTAIN HWY.

a)
Loo

986-6966 =

OUR GUARANTEE, WE WON’T BE UNDERSOLD