Computer science junior Sandy Mendoza climbs the rock wall last Tuesday at The Stomp on the Brownsville campus. ROXANNA MIRANDA/THE RIDER
Best Week Ever welcomed students to the fall semester with food, games, a parade and information about the university last week.
The celebration included signature events, such as the International Meet & Greet, Picnic with the President, UTRGV Day and The Stomp, among others.
International Meet & Greet
The sound of drums and a group of dancers led the start of the International Meet & Greet parade last Tuesday on the Brownsville campus. The parade, which featured 59 flags representing countries of international students at UTRGV carried by students and staff, started in the Main Courtyard and ended on the Student Union lawn.
In Edinburg, the parade took place last Thursday, starting at the Performing Arts Complex and ending at the University Ballroom lawn.
The Banda de Música Halcones from the Escuela Preparatoria Ricardo Flores Magon of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, led the parade and played music during the march, and after, on the Brownsville Student Union lawn. The high school is located across from UTRGV’s UCentral in Matamoros.
“We have a very close relationship with this high school,” said Samantha Lopez, director of International Admissions and Student Services. “This high school is across Imaculta from the UCentral that we have in Matamoros, so we want to show our support to the sister city of Matamoros. We value the Mexican students. We value Matamoros, all the talent that is in Matamoros. Actually, the No. 1 population that we have at UTRGV of students are from Mexico.”
She said the event was for domestic students to learn about the different cultures at UTRGV and for them to mingle with international students and get to know and learn from each other.
Picnic with the President
After the International Meet & Greet parade, students had a chance to meet UTRGV President Guy Bailey during the Picnic with the President event that took place in PlainsCapital Bank
El Gran Salón at the Brownsville Student Union.
Bailey, along with his administration, served hamburgers and hot dogs to students and staff and asked students what high school they graduated from. Chasse Conque, the new vice president and director of athletics, was also present helping serve the burger patties.
The event took place Thursday in the University Ballroom in Edinburg.
Bailey, wearing an orange apron, and placing hamburger buns on plates and giving them to students, said this is one of his favorite times of the year and has been doing this since he became chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2006.
“I hope students feel comfortable at the university,” he said. “I want them to feel like it’s their home and their university and I want to get to meet them, too.”
Asked what he would say to incoming students, Bailey replied, “Make this university your home. We want you to feel comfortable here. We want you to love being here. We want you
to know that your success is our primary interest.”
Nayla Paredes, a mass communication and political science senior, said she attended the event to meet other students and the university’s leadership.
“I thought it’d be a good opportunity to, like, see other students in the community and get to know the people in positions of leadership in our community, and just to have fun with my friends,” Paredes said. “I think it’s great because it really gives us a chance to, to get to know [President Bailey] and to put a face to his name.”
UTRGV Day
The annual celebration of UTRGV’s founding took place at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the University Ballroom in Edinburg and at 2 p.m. in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón in Brownsville.
Hundreds of students enjoyed free snacks, including cupcakes, and received T-shirts featuring the Vaquero mascot’s face. In Brownsville, the line to enter the event reached the stairs outside the salón.
The mascot was present and walking around the packed room, taking photos with students and staff at the UTRGV birthday photo booth.
“This is another exciting day,” Bailey said. “This is, kind of, in celebration of our startup five years ago. We’re in our fifth year now and, so, we just want to get students together, feed them a little bit, give them T-shirts, kind of build some school spirit and let them know about the university.”
Asked what UTRGV’s future looks like, Bailey replied, “I think we have the brightest future in America in our education. We’re still adding degree programs, we’re still enrolling, quality is improving. … In five years from now, we’ll be even better.”
The Stomp
Several student organizations, university departments, area merchants, community service agencies and representatives came together at The Stomp, Tuesday on the Brownsville Student Union lawn.
Among the booths on the Brownsville campus, the Campus Activities Board held a raffle for a Nintendo Switch console, Gladys Porter Zoo brought a tarantula and a snake for attendees to see, students had the opportunity to climb a rock wall, and Texas Regional Bank brought the Texas Tornado in which students had the chance to collect money.
On the Edinburg campus, The Stomp took place at the same time Thursday at the HPE Track & Field. The event had free food, games and swag for students.
Info Depots
Student Activities hosted Info Depots, which helped students with directions, provided a campus map, and snacks, according to the Best Week Ever 2019 calendar website.
The event took place Aug. 26 and last Tuesday across the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses.
More events
–Guest speaker Justin Velten, a professor, researcher and president of Go Culture International, gave a lecture on cultural awareness and provided tips on how to acquire, measure and identify its components, elements and principles.
Go Culture International exists to provide “the most reliable intercultural competency assessment tool,” according to the Best Week Ever 2019 calendar website.
–Campus Activities Board had a free movie screening of “Avengers: Endgame” at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Salon Cassia on the Brownsville campus and in the Student Union PlainsCapital Bank Theater on the Edinburg campus.
–Career Center staff reviewed students’ résumés from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday in the Executive Tower Lobby on the Edinburg campus.
