Every semester a flood of parents pours onto the Tyler Junior College campus for their annual visit known as Parent’s Weekend.
Parent’s Weekend has become a TJC tradition allowing parents the opportunity to officially visit their children in the college environment, while allowing TJC to market themselves to potential students in the process.
“This not only gives TJC parents a taste of the second promise but also provides an excellent marketing tool,” Jonathan Pollard, assistant director of Student Life, said. “There is a saying in sales that the repeat customer is the most important. Well these parents, they have other children and family, and if they have a great experience, then they will spread the word.”
As the TJC students, both those that live on and off campus, prepare for the upcoming visit from their families, preparation is made to ensure that the parents receive a realistic glimpse of what the campus offers to it students.
“Both the staff and students play a fundamental role in ensuring the success of the entire weekend.” Ishmael Benjamin, coordinator of Recreation Services, said. “The staff does all the behind the scenes planning, while the students help the staff with the actual carrying out of those plans.”
The initial process of coordinating the two-day event calls for a committee to be appointed and the date itself must be drafted. Once the date is finalized, the necessary booking of rooms are made as well as appointing certain committee members to specific tasks.
Residential students on campus may resort to cleaning their dormitories and rushing to wash clothes in an effort to show their parents that independence suits them.
“My roommate and I have devoted more time to cleaning than studying to even make our room somewhat presentable to our parents. It’s my first year away from them making me clean up my room, but yet I find myself slaving to clean up for their approval,” Kristina Launder, TJC freshman, said.
This year’s agenda is filled with diverse aspects of interaction, allowing parents that may be new to the Tyler area to experience the second promise of TJC, a vibrant student life.
The event starts at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, October 2nd at the Roger Students Student Center on the second floor with parent check-in.
Once checked in, from 6 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., a barbecue will be held in the Apache Rooms, allowing the parents to converse with one another while enjoying a complimentary meal. An alternative option is to have dinner in the cafeteria provide by Valley Services.
The night ends at 8 p.m. with Mike Super’s Magic Illusion Show in the Wise Auditorium. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The event continues early Saturday, October 3 with a Come and Go Presidential Breakfast in the RSC Apache Rooms from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It will provide the opportunity for parents to meet some of the TJC administration and faculty.
Free time is provided from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. giving students the chance to give their parents tours of the campus, dorms, and Tyler area before making their way to Rose Stadium for the closing event.
The final event will take place at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium with the East Texas State Fair and the Three Dog Night Concert at 6 p.m. Gate entrance price will be ten dollars per person and an additional five dollars per ticket for each ride.
For more information on the events scheduled, please contact Ishmael Benjamin, Parents Weekend Committee Chair at Iben@tjc.edu or by phone at (903) 510-2613.
