Due to long distances from home, a lack of money for gifts and insufficient time to plan, some Northwestern students aren’t celebrating Mother’s Day like they used to.
Bienen freshman Claire Nalven said she used to make her mother breakfast in bed every year and always had a gift waiting on the kitchen table. Following the gift presentation, her family would partake in an outdoor activity of some kind.
In place of that tradition, Nalven sent her mother a gift from Lululemon in Evanston and a CD of her own favorite songs so that her mom would know what she listens to.
But sending a gift just isn’t the same, Nalven said.
“Now it’s just a token of acknowledgement,” Nalven said. “But it’s not actually Mother’s Day.”
With busy schedules and extracurricular obligations, many NU students are not able to get home for the holiday or plan anything special. Communication sophomore Ed Wasserman, a cast member in the “Waa-Mu 2011: What’s Next?”, was able to incorporate Mother’s Day into the show’s closing weekend.
On Sunday, the Waa-Mu team will host and entertain at a pre-show Mother’s Day brunch at the Hilton Garden Inn. Wasserman’s mother will be traveling to attend the event and see the show.
For students who are close to home, Mother’s Day festivities are easier to plan. Nicole Torosin, a Weinberg freshman, said she will be treating her mother to Tapas Barcelona on Chicago Avenue. Torosin said she likes being close by for the holiday.
“The fact that I can see my mother on Mother’s Day means a lot to her because I’m her only daughter,” Torosin said. “Seeing other people get homesick makes me kind of happy that I never do.”
Shipping can be a major issue for students trying give gifts from afar. Weinberg junior Josh Bay said he has had some traumatic experiences with the mail system, so he will be sending his mother an e-card instead.
“I am confused by the mail system,” Bay said. “I am sending an e-card. She seems to be happy with that.”
ARTica studios in the Norris University Center offers opportunities to make handmade alternatives to Mother’s Day shopping. In the past few weeks, they have provided materials for glass painting and frame painting at a low price, and they always sell homemade bowls and plates called bisqueware, said SESP freshman Becca Abara, who works at the studio.
Abara said she has noticed more students coming in lately and asking for Mother’s Day inspiration. She said arts and crafts will always work for moms.
“Buying something for my mom is great,” Abara said. “But if it’s something that I made with my own hands, she’ll know I spent time on it, and she’ll think about me every time she uses it.”
