Brooms, mops and trash bags were the weapons of choice as the class of 1997 faced an invasion yesterday.

"Everyone's breaking out the vacuum cleaners," said Terri J. Halperin '97 of Quincy House, a member of the Junior Parents Weekend Committee.

"I've never seen my room this clean before," said Diallo M. Riddle '97 of Pforzheimer House. "I'm usually more organic in my habits."

Despite every effort at concealing evidence of extracurricular activity, the occasional unintended parental discovery still required quick thinking.

"My parents saw an empty bottle of rum. Of course I said it was a decoration someone gave me," Riddle said.

One problem faced by parents yesterday was choosing which courses to visit.

"I tabled at the Science Center this morning, and a lot of parents asked about classes to visit, because their son or daughter didn't have any classes on Fridays," Halperin said. "I guess juniors plan their schedules well."

Parents who went to classes may or may not have gained much knowledge.

According to J. Lewis Ford '97, who is a mathematics concentrator, several parents attended his advanced classes yesterday.

"It was funny to see some of the parents in my math classes who had no idea what was going on. In my number theory class, the professor tried to make it a little more accessible, but there was only so much he could do," Ford said with a chuckle.

Some parents, however, skipped their children's afternoon classes in favor of more practical fare.

A panel of staffers from the Office of Career Services (OCS) gave a 90-minute presentation on "Managing a Changing Marketplace."

William Wright-Swadel, the new OCS director, moderated the panel before an overflowing crowd in Science Center B. Experts on fellowships and on careers in public service, media, the arts, health and business were also on hand to give advice and answer questions from anxious parents.

Yesterday's annual faculty address was delivered by Diana L. Eck, professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies. Eck spoke about the emerging religious pluralism in America and addressed the challenges facing the "new religious landscape" of America.

Each of the houses then hosted receptions for juniors and their families. Most house masters opened up their residences for yesterday's cocktail parties.

According to Nicole N. Rekant '97, a Parents Weekend Committee member from Winthrop House, meeting the parents of Winthrop juniors is providing great sport for house residents.

"The first thing you look for is who they look more like, their mother or their father," she said. "It's really funny to see how similar they are in mannerisms."

While many juniors worked into the wee hours yesterday to prepare for the arrival of their parents, for others the cleaning operation was just getting underway last night.

"We have to [clean] right now," Leverett House's Christopher J. Mutrie '97 said last night. "We have to get the bikes out of the common room. And I guess this box of oranges can go."

Closets are crucial in a pinch, Mutrie said.

"The empty beer, bottles are in the closet, so hopefully no one will want to hang up their coat," he said.

Other juniors, however, said the benefits of cleaning prior to parental arrival are overrated.

"These are your parents anyway, so they know what you're like," said Chuong D. Nguyen '97, a Currier House resident and member of the Parent's Weekend Committee.

Today's Schedule

The Junior Parents Weekend schedule continues in earnest today, beginning with a morning assembly on students' perspectives on undergraduate life.

Julia Garrett Fox, the new director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Parents Association, will moderate the panel. Kevin C. Scott '97 and Jennifer Tye '97, co-chairs of the Junior Parents Weekend Committee, will also participate, and Professor of Education Richard J. Light will round out the panel.

The Sanders Theatre assembly will also feature a performance by the Radcliffe Pitches.

Later this morning, three professors will deliver short lectures in the Science Center.

Thomson Professor of Government Jorge I. Dominguez will speak about how to apply children's stories to business styles. Professor of Physics Melissa Franklin will speak about quarks. And Associate Professor of History and of Social Studies James Goodman will give a speech titled "Stories of Scottsboro and Other Stories."

After lunch in the dining halls, the parents are invited to watch another panel discussion, this one on the Harvard house system.

Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely '60 joins three house tutors and two College juniors for the discussion in Science Center B.

The weekend will conclude with a reception for the Class of '97 at Agassiz House in Radcliffe Yard.