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Leah Alabre, age 12, joins her father Joseph Alabre, an employee at the paint shop, for a day at work April 25.
(photo by Latonya Lennon, age 16)

Amy Valis of the Woodrow Wilson School brought her niece Kelsey Fennimore (right) with friends Kathleen Yeager (center) and Shannon Leckie (left).
(Photo by Jade Brown, age 10 1/2)

Today's student reporters are (from left) front row: Alicia and Terrance Lennon and Jonathan Cantor; second row: Latonya Lennon, Jade and Jordan Brown.
(photo by Lauren Robinson-Brown)

Take Our Children to Work day

April 25, 2002
Hundreds of children came to Princeton University today for “Take Our Children to Work Day.” The children of employees in the Office of Communications took on the role of reporters and photographers and went around campus to interview children and their parents about what this day meant to them.

We asked the children what they thought about being around their parents at their jobs and how they liked helping them work. We asked the kids their ages, what schools they attend and some other questions and we asked their parents about their jobs and how they enjoyed the day, but we did not ask their ages.

“It’s a pleasure bringing my daughter,” said Joseph Alabre, an employee in the facilities department. His daughter, Leah, age 12, said she enjoyed coming to work with her father and learning about all of the skills he uses in the paint shop.

Some parents said they only bring their kids once every other year because they don’t want them to miss too much school or because of where they work. Some parents said that they knew that their kids might be bored so they tried to create special activities for them.

Kelsey Fennimore, whose aunt Amy Valis works at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, said she liked going to the Art Museum where she saw a mummy.

Theodore Christie, who works in the Frist Campus Center, and his son, Davon, were setting up chairs in the Multipurpose Room when we spotted them.

“I love where I work and my son is a big help,” Mr. Christie said.

Many of the children and their parents ate lunch at Frist. Alarm technicians William O’Neill, Tom Massabrook, and Alex Trosko all brought their children, including Brianna O’Neill, 7, Nicole Massabrook, 9, and Adam Trosko, 8. They told us that the facilities department had more than 70 kids on campus today.

Doing this assignment gave us a better idea of what our parents go through during the day. It was hard work but it was fun.

“I was kind of nervous at first but then I got used to the idea of interviewing people” said Alicia Lennon, 13, daughter of Natalie Lennon, communications assistant, who came with her sister Latonya, 16, and brother Terrence, 10.

Terrence said he was also nervous but he enjoyed learning how hard his mom works.

“I thought it was pretty interesting and fun. I had a good time walking around taking people’s pictures,” said Jonathan Cantor, 14, son of creative services director Laurel Cantor.

“I now know what my mom has to go through every day. The job was tiring but I got used to it,” said Jordan Brown, 10. She and her twin sister Jade are the daughters of communications director Lauren Robinson-Brown.

“It was a fun experience and my mom’s job is really exciting,” added Jade. “It is nice to think of new ideas.”

Team leader Latonya Lennon concluded, “I liked this experience because I always wanted to be a reporter and take pictures of people and now I know I can do it.”