At Family Day 2016, Michelle Edgar and her parents, Mark and Juliette, posed for a photo with Temoc.
Students at The University of Texas at Dallas can show off their campus and share Comet spirit during Family Day festivities Saturday, Oct. 7.
Organizers expect more than 1,200 parents and siblings to participate in annual Family Day activities, which include opportunities to mingle with faculty and staff, attend a sporting event, play family games and go on campus tours.
“Family Day is a great opportunity for families to spend time with their students, connect with other families and experience life as a Comet by participating in campus programs. It’s a campus tradition that brings together family members of all ages to visit their student in their new environment,” said Brianna Nichols, program coordinator for New Student Programs.
“Family Day is a great opportunity for families to spend time with their students, connect with other families and experience life as a Comet by participating in campus programs.”
Brianna Nichols,
program coordinator for New Student Programs
Online registration closes Oct. 2, but family members can still register at 11 a.m. Saturday in the lobby of the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building. Registration is $25, with free admission for students and children 11 and younger.
Registration includes a Family Day T-shirt, a catered lunch, games and activities for all ages, a volunteer project and admission to a UT Dallas women’s volleyball match against Belhaven at 2 p.m.
At 11:15 a.m., a welcome program in the ATEC lecture hall will feature greetings from University President Richard C. Benson; Dr. Amanda Smith, dean of students; J.W. Van Der Schans, Student Government president; and Desmond Blair BA’07, MFA’09, recipient of the 2017 Undergraduate Alumni Achievement Award.
Students will perform a music and dance showcase at 4:15 p.m. in the auditorium in the Student Services Building Addition.
The Student Wellness Center and University Recreation will sponsor family-friendly activities, and Residential Life will host an open house for residential students. Both the Activity Center and Recreation Center West will be open for use by students and their families. Members of the nationally ranked UT Dallas chess team will be on hand for impromptu games on Chess Plaza.
Families also can join their students in a service project organized by the Office of Student Volunteerism, making scarves for the homeless at Samaritan Inn. Guests also are encouraged to bring gently worn clothing for Out of the Closet, a thrift store whose proceeds benefit the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.