The Honors Convocation is one of the highlights of Family Weekend.
The campus will be buzzing with activity as thousands of Rensselaer families are expected to visit Rensselaer Oct. 27-29 to celebrate Family Weekend.
For more than 60 years, parents, family members, alumni, and friends have made the trek to the Troy campus to attend Family Weekend. “The main goal of the Family Weekend tradition is celebrating not only the memories of Rensselaer families and students, but also creating new memories and recognizing student success,” said Shanté Brown, assistant dean in the Office of the First-Year Experience. “Family Weekend is designed to not only reinforce our students’ love of Rensselaer, but to also foster the same feeling of community in family members.”
This year, students and families will have an opportunity to get a glimpse of life at Rensselaer through a variety of cultural offerings and performances, academic classroom programs, tours, dinners, film screenings, and athletic events, along with events taking place in the Troy community.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, President Shirley Ann Jackson will deliver a presentation of the progress and accomplishments taking place at Rensselaer. The talk will take place in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, from 9 to 9:30 a.m.
The 24th annual Honors Convocation ceremony, which celebrates the outstanding academic achievements of students and faculty, will immediately follow in the same location.
Highlights of this year’s events include a plethora of student performances and exhibitions, family and class-focused dinners, partnerships with student organizations, academic and center open houses, and movie screenings.
On the playing fields, events include women’s field hockey vs. SUNY Oneonta beginning at noon; women’s soccer vs. Clarkson University beginning at 2 p.m.; women’s ice hockey vs. Brown University at 3 p.m.; and men’s hockey vs. Union College at 7 p.m.
For individuals interested in getting a glimpse of the diverse cultures on campus, the annual International Festival event will showcase over 25 different countries and cultures representing the Rensselaer Union international student organizations and individual members of campus. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Rensselaer Union McNeil Room from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Families also will have an opportunity to attend the annual Fall Fest Celebration. The free community event showcases student demos and activities designed to celebrate the fall season. Area businesses and community organizations also participate. The event will take place at the Houston Field House from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s Family Weekend also includes a nod to Halloween, with Troy Night Out -Halloween Theme on Friday in downtown Troy beginning at 5 p.m., and The Spirits of Rensselaer Ghost Tour Saturday beginning at 8 p.m.
“Autumn in Troy is truly a special time,” Brown said. “We want everyone to find a way to share in the culture and rich traditions of Rensselaer.”
Click here for a complete listing of Family Weekend events
