Campus Life

Aggie Families Will Gather At Texas A&M April 17-19 For Parents’ Weekend

Parents’ Weekend, an annual spring celebration honoring Aggie moms and dads since 1919, is set for April 17-19 at Texas A&M University.
By Tura King, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications April 9, 2015

“A Weekend Bigger Than Texas”
“A Weekend Bigger Than Texas”

Parents’ Weekend, an annual spring celebration honoring Aggie moms and dads since 1919, is set for April 17-19 at Texas A&M University.

Parents’ Weekend activities this year, billed as “A Weekend Bigger Than Texas,” include the annual Aggie Moms’ Boutique, concerts by the Singing Cadets, athletic events, various Aggie performers and open houses at the homes of the university’s president and vice president for student affairs. It concludes Sunday with numerous award presentations.

The Aggie Moms’ Boutique, a gift-and-craft fair that is one of the most popular events of Parents’ Weekend, is set for Friday (April 17) from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday (April 18) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Booths with items for sale will be located on the second level of the Memorial Student Center both days.

The boutique is considered by planners as a particularly fitting way to begin because Parents’ Weekend has its roots in Aggie Mothers’ Club activities. The club was formed early in the school’s history with the goal of lending help to the then all-cadet student body.

In response, an open house was held for the moms in May for Mother’s Day from 1919 until 1969. At that time, when graduation was changed to early May, the open house program moved to April and has continued to expand through the years beyond the traditional flower pinning, chapel services and military reviews for moms.

It now includes an entire weekend of fun activities that has Aggie families flocking to the campus.

Aggie Ring Day, the day long-awaited by students and their parents, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center. One of the greatest moments in the life of any Aggie is the day that he or she receives the ring symbolizing they have met all the required academic accomplishments to date. This Ring Day event is planned during the weekend to allow parents to be present as their Aggies receive their rings.

Instead of having one large awards presentation at the end of the weekend, as was the arrangement for decades, award presentations are now spread out over the entire weekend. The first of these presentations will be the Who’s Who Awards presented to Aggies who have been acknowledged as exceptional student leaders. This presentation is set for 3:30 p.m. Friday in Rudder Exhibit Hall.

The Texas A&M Women’s Chorus will host its annual spring concert, this year at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Rudder Theatre. The repertoire includes a mix of classical and more contemporary choral works. Tickets are available from the MSC Box Office.

A Yell Practice is planned on the Arts & Humanities Building lawn at 10 p.m. Friday. At that time, the “Aggie Parents of the Year” will be named, concluding Friday’s events.

The Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs will welcome guests at the president’s and vice president’s homes for open houses Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. Both homes are on Throckmorton Street, with the president’s home located across from Duncan Field and the vice president’s located across from the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center.

“Taste of Aggieland” is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Duncan Field. Organizers say the event will include food from some of the students’ favorite restaurants, as well as local talent and booths operated by local retailers.

The Singing Cadets will be in concert Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Rudder Auditorium. Known as the “Voice of Aggieland” for 110 years, the Singing Cadets’ concert is one of the most popular events at each year’s Parents’ Weekend. Tickets are on sale at the MSC Box Office.

The Corps of Cadets will host several activities during the weekend, including performances by the Parsons Mounted Cavalry, the Ross Volunteers and the Fish Drill Team. Those events will be followed by the presentation of individual cadet awards and a review and unit awards ceremony.

For more information on these events, see http://corps.tamu.edu/.

The weekend’s activities conclude Sunday (April 19) with the Buck Weirus Spirit Awards ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center. The award honors students who have made a significant contribution to student programs.

For a more complete list of Parents’ Weekend events, go here.

Media contact: tamunews@tamu.edu.

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