by Abigail Ramirez
Daily Lobo
Incoming freshman Jennifer Mahkee attended the 3rd Annual Freshman Family Day to learn about UNM and find out where her classes are.
"It showed what UNM is going to be like this year and just how fun and how exciting it will be," she said. "I know everyone says it's fun and exciting, but I want to see it from my own point of view."
She said the event helped her feel involved and get settled in.
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Mahkee's mother, Ann Quan, said being involved with her daughter's education made her come to the event.
"I wanted to see what my first daughter's classes would be like or what the whole atmosphere would be like. I never expected all of these things to happen," she said. "I didn't know what convocation was, and it made me realize, 'Gosh they really care for their students. They go all out to prepare them for their first day.' "
Out of 2,900 incoming freshmen, Vivian Valencia, who helped organize the event, estimated 1,000 freshmen and 2,500 guests attended the event.
Freshman Family Day consisted of three elements, which included the Freshmen Convocation, a social at the Duck Pond and a movie showing on Johnson Field.
The Freshmen Convocation welcomes incoming students and their parents by introducing the president, the provost and peers.
David Harris, UNM's acting president, spoke at the convocation.
"I think the message that I gave has two main thrusts," he said. "One, we want to welcome and challenge the students, and two, we want the parents to know their children are in a safe place."
Harris said he wanted to reinforce the idea that college is an invaluable experience.
"We want them to know that investing four years of their life or more is the smartest decision that they have made," he said. "There is no way to calculate the benefit of a good education."
Students, alumni and faculty performed music and flamenco dancing.
The speakers and performers helped communicate other ways of learning to students, Valencia said.
"It allowed faculty and students to show that there are other opportunities for learning rather than just in a classroom and hitting the books," she said.
The social at the Duck Pond allowed parents and students an opportunity to collaborate with one another and their administrators. Danny Winn and the Earthlings, a local band, played music while students and their families ate hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. Orientation leaders showed freshmen to their classes and played games.
The event shows students that people want them to succeed, Harris said.
"When they look at the people at the day of the event, that group of people is there to facilitate their success and help them in their freshman learning experience, to advance and have a safe and positive environment to study and learn in," he said.
Valencia agreed.
"The purpose of the event is to show incoming freshmen that they are important and that we care about them," she said. "And that there are resources there to help them, and that they are not on their own, and to most importantly welcome them into the UNM family."
Valencia estimated that the entire event cost between $50,000 to $70,000.
Audrey Graham, parent of an out-of-state incoming freshmen, attended the event to see what UNM had in store for her daughter.
"We've noticed all along that parents that are more involved with their kid's education from pre-school on have students who do better, and I don't believe that ends at the end of high school," she said. "I think that all people have to be connected, and so this helps us stay connected and helps her feel that she is still connected to us and not abandoned."
Tim Graham, Audrey's husband, said the event involved him with the UNM community.
"It brings the parents into the University as well so that we all feel kind of like they said in orientation, that we're part of UNM as well," he said. "It sort of gives you as a parent one last chance to connect with your child before you send them off, and I think it also is good for the student to kind of come to the University as part of a place to belong to."
