Katherine Kapnick ’13
At schools like Vanderbilt and the University of Georgia, annual mother-daughter and mother-son weekends are an eagerly anticipated staple of Greek life. After hearing of the popularity of these events, Fourth Year Theta Lilly McDonough and her mother Tori decided to bring the tradition to Charlottesville; their hard work accumulated in Delta Chi’s inaugural mother-daughter weekend, which took place during the first weekend of February, 2013. Many Fourth Year mothers made the trek to sunny Charlottesville to participate in the events of the weekend, the highlight of which was an elegant luncheon at Farmington Country Club on Saturday, February 2nd.
Theta Fourth Years and their mothers sipped Bloody Marys and Mimosas and chatted while the Farmington staff readied the Ballroom for the event. Lunch was served at 1:15, and encompassed a delicious menu of French onion soup, seafood and chicken crepes, fresh salad and apple tart Tatin for dessert. Red and white wines were also served.
At the conclusion of the meal, clinical psychologist Dr. Meg Jay delivered an engaging and very relevant talk about her new book, The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now. In addition to running a private practice in Charlottesville, Dr. Jay is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Virginia specializing in adult development, and particularly twenty-somethings. Her fascinating talk targeted the problematic modern philosophy that “thirty is the new twenty,” and stressed the difference between productive exploration—which is quite healthy to the development of young men and women in their twenties—and procrastination, which is what many recent college graduates actually end up doing. During the talk, Dr. Jay convincingly introduced the relevance of these principals to every aspect of college and post-college life, from romance to family to careers. The lecture was followed by a substantial question-and-answer session, after which Dr. Jay signed copies of her book for all attendees of the lunch. The work is a must-read for twenty-somethings and their parents alike.
Following the invigorating and intellectually stimulating lunch, many of the women headed off to enjoy Charlottesville’s many signature attractions, from Monticello to golf to R&R at the Boar’s Head Spa. The weekend was such a success that members of the Fourth Year class are now planning a father-daughter weekend to take place after Spring Break. We hope this meaningful tradition will be continued in years to come!