by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
Student Tylor Nelson said the medieval-inspired caps and gowns worn by faculty at Sunday's freshman convocation made him and his friends think they were in a Harry Potter book.
"We just felt like we were at Hogwarts the whole time," he said.
At 4 p.m. about 800 freshmen wearing identical red UNM T-shirts filed into Popejoy Hall for the convocation, which kicked off the second annual Freshman Family Day.
Louis Caldera, UNM president, spoke at the event and encouraged students to dedicate themselves to their academic future.
"Make a commitment to yourselves - right now, this moment - that you are going to graduate from UNM," he said.
Caldera said the event is meant to build a sense of attachment to UNM in freshmen, which will make them more likely graduate.
"It's a nice way to break the ice for students," he said. "Students will say, 'Hey, we're really here now.'"
Caldera said he is concerned many freshmen do not return for their sophomore year, and many of those who do return are not engaged in the University as much as they should be.
About 25 percent of freshmen do not come back for another year, according to the latest statistics from the University.
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Sunday was the second time a full-sized convocation was held at UNM, Caldera said. He wanted to have one in 2003, but it was organized on short notice and was held on the first day of classes, he said.
Susan McKinsey, UNM spokeswoman, said the total cost of the day was about $75,000.
Caldera said that figure is comparable to similar events at other universities.
Student Christine Williams said Freshman Family Day will not make her any more likely to stay in college, but it did make her happier to be at UNM.
"It made me more comfortable," she said. "I'm more excited now than I was this morning."
Student Noreen Fahy agreed. She said the events would not increase how seriously she took school, but did make her feel more at home.
She said the day was a good way to relax and meet new people before classes start.
Fahy said her favorite part of the day was a $50 gift certificate to the UNM Bookstore she won in a raffle and a violin performance by a music student during the convocation.
After the convocation, a free barbecue with burgers, hot dogs and ice cream was held. McKinsey said food was served to about 4,500 people.
Students and their families ate on the lawn of Caldera's house and around the Duck Pond, while local band Felonious Groove Foundation played for them.
Many parents participated in the events. McKinsey said about 2,200 family members of freshman watched the convocation from the balcony in Popejoy and on TV in Rodey Theater, Keller Hall and the SUB Ballroom.
Tom Riccobene, a parent of one of the freshman, said the ceremony and the day's festivities were good for students.
"I thought it was great," he said. "I thought everyone had a lot to say that was very important."
Riccobene said the day was a good way to mark the beginning of a new life for students.
Other events of the day included a Class Crawl, which helped students find their classrooms, and a screening of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on Johnson Field.
McKinsey said the convocation was larger than last year's by about 100 students. She said she expects the event to get bigger every year.
