The annual spring Parents’ Weekend kicks off Friday with events spanning through Sunday, including Midnight Yell, the Maroon and White Football Game and the All-University Awards Ceremony.
The highly anticipated Ring Day will start off Parents’ Weekend as Aggies gather with their families to share in the accomplishment and experience that is the Aggie Ring.
“This is the first time that Ring Day has been held on Parents’ Weekend in a while so that brings in a lot more people to campus for the actual weekend so we are really kind of hoping that those numbers really help us succeed this year with Parents’ Weekend,” said Parents’ Weekend Co-Associate Director Rebekah Thornton.
Midnight Yell will be the first opportunity for newly elected senior yell leaders, Head Yell Leader Casey Schaefer, Weston Wilcox and Reagan Thompson and junior yell leaders John Busch and Travis Kennedy to experience Yell Practice as a yell leader. Also participating in the night’s event will be Eric Beckham, fresh off his victory as 2009-2010 student body president, as well as the 2008 parents of the year, Keneth and Gerilyn Kleckley.
“This is where they get to speak as their last kind of hoorah as parents of the year for this year,” Thornton said.
The Bevo Burn Barbecue is also a staple for the Parents’ Weekend Committee. Performing at the barbecue will be the TJ Klein Band, the Aggie Yell Leaders, Aggie Wranglers, Apotheosis, Chara Dance Group, Fade 2 Black, Hardchord Dynamix and the Kappa Pickers.
“Starting on Saturday morning there are tons and tons of different things happening on campus, but our main event is the Bevo Burn Barbecue,” Thornton said. “We have 12 barbecue teams that are coming. Last year we served about 4,000 people, so we hope to see that same amount of people.”
In the event that weather is a factor, the barbecue will be moved to Duncan Dining Hall but will run the same.
The 2009-2010 parents of the year will be introduced at the All-University Awards Ceremony on Sunday as the last event of Parents’ Weekend.
“We will introduce them to the press and to Texas A&M University, and that’s when they kick off and start all the stuff they get to do as the new parents of the year,” Thornton said. “It is hard to get them to calm down because of their shock level when they find out that they have been nominated and then they find out that they actually got it. It’s nice to see how excited and gracious they are when they find out that their children nominated them for that award.”
Parents’ Weekend schedule of eventsToday:Ring DayParent Programs Reception – 10:30 p.m. to midnight in Cain HallMidnight Yell – Midnight at Kyle FieldMSC Variety Show – 7:30 p.m. in Rudder Auditorium Aggie Moms’ Boutique – 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Reed Arena
Saturday:Bevo Burn Barbecue – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Duncan FieldOpen House – Elsa and Peter Murano, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Open House – General and Mrs. Joe Weber, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Maroon and White Football Game – 2 p.m.Singing Cadets Concert – 7:30 pm in Rudder Auditorium
Sunday:All University Awards Ceremony – 9:30 a.m. in Rudder Auditorium