As many students were still catching their last few hours of sleep before their classes this Friday, Nov. 7, Bruin Family Weekend got off to a tranquil start. Few would expect that over 3,000 parents would show up to meet and venture UCLA with their children over the course of Bruin Family weekend.
Families began arriving for the event at 8 a.m. for a breakfast hosted by UCLA staff in Dickson Plaza. At the early breakfast, Bruins were excited to see their families, some for the first time since drop off. The families, while excited to see their Bruins, were also looking forward to the opportunity to see the school and meet UCLA’s amazing faculty.
At 9:45 a.m., the Chancellor gave a welcome speech where he, along with other faculty, spoke about UCLA and left an impact on the assembled families. “I also enjoyed the reception,” stated Andrew Portman, the parent of a current Bruin, referring to the Chancellor’s welcome address.
Throughout the day, UCLA faculty held presentations with guest speakers from several different departments. “See the world through your student’s eyes,” the schedule reads. Portman certainly agrees, saying that the panels were intended to be interesting, with the AI panel being the favorite event of the day for both him and his wife.
The staff also provided a catered lunch for the families, also attended by deans and professors. After leaving the lunch, many parents seemed to believe that the Lunch with the Deans offered them face-to-face interactions with professors that would normally be reserved for office hours. They left abuzz with energy for the rest of the day and were excited to return to lunch the next day.
The campus was bustling all day as it accommodated many more people than usual — Kerckhoff Coffee House and the food stalls at Ackerman Union, with decently sized lines on a normal day, had lines going out the doors of their respective buildings. This wasn’t just unique to Westwood as families flooded Westwood. “Earlier, we went on an essential Trader Joe’s run,” supplied Portman, a journey for which many students took their parents along.
Outside of visiting Westwood’s grocery stores, families also tasted the local cuisine. Stores from Happy Panda Hotpot to Saffron and Rose Ice Cream saw families visiting over the course of the two days.
After a long day out and about, families gathered back at Dickson Plaza for Friday’s dinner. The event space was packed with parents and students. UCLA provided entertainment, including the marching band introduced by one of the deans.
While Friday’s official Parent’s Weekend events concluded with the end of the dinner, families kept the energy up for the UCLA vs. Pepperdine men’s basketball game in Pauley Pavilion. The stands roared with support as the home team secured a victory.
The second day of Bruin Family Weekend, Nov. 8, kicked off with Bruin Family Yoga and Dance Cardio and Conditioning. Parents, siblings and students hurdled at Dickson Court with their mats to soak the sunlight at 8 a.m. Parents expressed much joy at the morning session, describing it as refreshing and new.
Following the workout session, parents headed to Dickson Plaza for the Blue and Gold breakfast. Offering a wide buffet, the blue and yellow tents brought together alumni, parents, students and staff under the same roof, giving them a chance to forge new connections. At the breakfast, many parents seemed excited for the UCLA-Nebraska football game taking place at the Rose Bowl that night.
After breakfast, parents headed to film and television archives, where they attended a presentation by Maya Montañez Smukler and learned how the archives team collects and preserves media.
After the programming for Family Weekend concluded, many parents expressed appreciation and talked positively about the faculty presentations and Lunch with the Deans. There was a consensus that the mentor and networking resources provided at the career seminar helped students dive deeper into their near futures.
Attending parents Heidi and Arturo Escobedo stated that the Parent and Family workshops, especially the career seminars, were “important to get a jump start” and learn about the various career paths students could explore in their majors.
Additionally, the faculty lectures offered parents a gateway to the plethora of experiences that intersect at the UCLA campus. There was a consensus among parents that the professors were approachable and that they could rely on them for support or answers to their questions.
In the end, parents felt that this weekend was a means for them to get closer to their children. When asked what they were most excited about, Heidi and Arturo claimed it was learning about their daughter’s life. Vanessa Arredondo, a member of the planning committee, said her favorite part of the event was when parents reunited with their children for the first time at the check-in area. “It offers a glimpse into why the parents are actually here.”
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Featured Image Photographed by David Zakaryan/BruinLife
