Families Weekend starts Thursday

By Jocelyn Wright     9/18/08 7:00pm

Families Weekend, when parents are invited to visit their children on campus, will start next Thursday Sept 25. The event, organized by Jennifer Harding, Director of Reunion Programs and Special Events, at the Office of Alumni Affairs in collaboration with Student Association External Vice President Nicholas Muscara, will emphasize the leadership qualities of Rice students this year. The theme is "Rice Students. Leading. Locally. Globally." Muscara, a Martel College sophomore, said this year's Families Weekend would be more centered around a theme than last year's, when the theme was simply "Students."

"We're trying to emphasize that Rice students are leaders inside and outside," Muscara said. "We want to show that they contribute to academics, scholarships, sports and all aspects of life."

This year's Families Weekend is scheduled a few weeks earlier than last year's. Harding said Families Weekend is scheduled for any time from mid-September to around Nov. 1 of any given year. She said the exact date depends on the academic schedule, Jewish religious holidays such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, the football schedule and fall break.

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"It's been earlier and it's been later," Harding said. "It just depends on how the calendar falls."

Muscara said he did not expect Hurricane Ike to negatively affect Families Weekend.

"I think what we will see during Families Weekend is how resilient Rice students are," Muscara said. "They're bouncing back, taking pride in Rice and all the events we had planned for Families Weekend are still happening."

Registration will be open from 3 - 8 p.m. in the Farnsworth Pavilion next Thursday, from 7 - 6 p.m. Friday and from 8 - 11 a.m Saturday so families can get schedules, guest IDs and maps. The campus store will be open from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and walking tours of campus will be departing at 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday, at 3 p.m. Friday and at 9:30 a.m. Saturday from the Sallyport, Muscara said. Parents are invited to go to classes with their children all day Friday.

A variety of entertainment will occur across campus. Wiess College will host the Wiess Freshmen One Acts in the Wiess Commons at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Baker College will host Baker Blues, its annual public party for students and parents, at 10 p.m. Friday. Spontaneous Combustion and the Philharmonics will also be performing during Families Weekend. There will be powderpuff games Saturday morning. Goode Company Barbecue will cater a tailgate from 2 - 4 p.m. Saturday, which will be followed by the football team's game against University of North Texas at 4 p.m. at Rice Stadium.

Muscara said the variety of student organizations participating in Families Weekend demonstrated what a unique place Rice is.

"It shows how versatile and varied Rice students are, both academically and non-academically," Muscara said. "It's a testament to the type of students Rice brings in."

Parents will have several opportunities to interact with the administration and college masters. President David Leebron and his wife will be hosting coffee in the RMC Kelley Lounge from 9 - 10:15 a.m. Friday. There will be receptions at the individual colleges for parents and their children Friday evening. All of the residential colleges except Baker will be hosting morning coffee and a roundtable discussion with the college masters. Muscara said Baker would not be participating because Baker Blues goes until 2 a.m. and because the Baker college masters will be attending the party so parents can talk to them there.

A complete schedule of Families Weekend events is available on the Families Weekend Web site, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/events/famweek/.

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