A Day in the Life of the UA Visitor Center

Almost every child who comes into the visitor center, where I work, looks absolutely fed up with their parents. Already exhausted from whatever transportation it took to get here in the first place. They walk in with tired eyes, dressed in various colors with each hair put in its place. Some even sporting sunglasses until the very moment they have to interact with another person. Secretly, I am sure, most of the students are excited to visit campus; but the attachment of overexcited parents helps to remind them to seem cool and collected. Meanwhile each adult is buzzing with enthusiasm. The smile stretches from cheek to cheek and they can’t wait to walk around the campus. They wear bright red shirts donning whatever wildcat gear they could collect and bright running shoes. The mother is usually more excited but from time to time I get a dad in who is glowing with pride for his child. They rush around the center, some with questions about food or housing, and others curious about the social aspects their children will get into. They are grabbing various colored magazine and flyers, shouting for their child to come look all the while asking for a bag to tote all this new material in. Meanwhile the child usually gives their parent a look of utter embarrassment. Some even refuse to let their elders speak from that point. Simply pushing in front and asking all the questions themselves. These questions tend to involve sports, classes, clubs, and of course the social aspect.  Either way by the time they choose to leave the child reluctantly drags their feet out the door, mentally preparing for a day schlepping around campus with the only people in the world with the most likely to embarrass them.