By Urvi Dalal, The Hub@TTU
Tech Pom Squad performs at TTPA Friday Night Dinner on 2022 Family Weekend. (Courtesy of Katelyn Shaffer, TTPA Intern and a Junior majoring in Creative Media Industries in TTU’s College of Communications and Media)
Texas Tech Family Weekend kicked off this past, honoring a tradition of showing students and their families what the university is all about since 1936.
Hosted by the Texas Tech Parent’s Association (TTPA), a nonprofit, the event ran from Friday, Oct. 28, to Sunday, Oct. 30, starting with a family dinner and family fun night, with President Lawrence Schovanec and Raider Red attending. A slew of other activities followed, including the Tech vs. Baylor game and the largest on-campus tailgate party.
Brooke Rhea, a Texas Tech alumna and mom, was looking forward to the tailgate and meeting new people. She said her family couldn’t wait for Family Weekend.
“My son was super excited when we got here,” Rhea said. “The look on his face just warms a momma’s heart.”
TTPA Treasurer Jennifer Freeman said Family Weekend allows parents to feel included and see their students on campus.
“Especially freshman parents—because you’ve been away from them for a couple of months,” she said. “And then you get to go and see them adult!”
Debbie Guerra, mother of two Tech students and TTPA secretary, said the university and the association provided helpful resources to her kids, and she felt inspired to give back.
“It’s very easy to lose connection to your child,” Guerra said, adding that all Tech parents should consider participating in Family Weekend.
Lisa Medina, the mother of a Texas Tech environmental geology student, said Family Weekend brings much excitement and positive energy.
“It’s fun,” Medina said. “It’s an opportunity for us to come to Lubbock, and we love Lubbock!”
Family Weekend also included a housing fair, in partnership with The Daily Toreador, to explain the different housing options for the upcoming school year. Representatives from TTU Student Legal Services were also on-site to answer questions about housing contracts.
Rhea said she was relieved to hear about the housing fair during Family Weekend because of the growing number of apartment complexes in town since her 2002 graduation from Tech.
“Having the opportunity to talk to them all at one time is going to be so much easier,” she said.
The TTPA is the current host of Family Weekend, but the tradition was originally established by Tech President Bradford Knapp and the Texas Tech Student Council.
The organization hosts events throughout the year. allowing parents and students to learn about Tech and get their questions answered. The event is usually held every October, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, TTPA moved Family Weekend online.
Linda Swindling, TTPA president, said Family Weekend is not only fun, but it also provides an opportunity to make connections.
“You may not have a problem now [or] you may not have a question now, but you will later,” Swindling said.
The meaning of Family Weekend is not only to celebrate students’ families but also to show the unity of everyone involved with the university.
“When you’re a Red Raider, you’re family,” Swindling said.
About stephanieturkowski
