Each fall, dozens of directionally challenged parents can be found haplessly wandering the halls on Back-to-School night. For some, Back-to-School represents a tedious chore that requires them to get takeout for their kids and hire a babysitter. But for others, the evening represents a chance to get a peek at what their child does for 182 days a year.

“I like Back-to-School Night because it builds my confidence in my son’s education,” said Raphe Elkind P ’14. “I get to meet all his teachers who make me excited about the possibilities for my son in the upcoming school year.”

Elkind added that it allows him to finally put faces to the teachers who his son comes home talking about, allowing him to have a more educated discussion when it comes to his son’s education.

For some students, this enriched parental knowledge of their academic lives is welcomed.

“I love Back-to-School Night because it gives my parents a better idea of what I’m dealing with academically,” Ben Foster ’15 said. “They’re much more likely to empathize with me complaining about math after listening to my teacher lay out the syllabus for them and use words like ‘Quadratic Formula’ and ‘Imaginary Numbers.’”

For others, the evening is yet another tool for parents looking to give their kids a hard time.

“After Back-to-School Night, if I complain about a teacher my parents always respond with ‘Oh, but he or she seemed so nice, maybe the problem is on your end,’’’ Lazaro Alvarado ’14 said.

Whether a student or a parent, the consensus appears to be that Back-to-School Night provides parents with a sufficient knowledge of their child’s education – it is up to the parent to decide what they decide to do with said knowledge.

“I’m a teacher, so if I go to a presentation that’s really good, I can steal some of the material for my Back-to-School Night,” Elkind said. “On the other hand, if the teacher’s talk is boring, this way I can commiserate with my son if he doesn’t like the course.”