An inflatable jousting ring, a slam dunk trampoline and Florida’s only traveling zip line were enjoyed by about 500 attendees at UF’s Family Weekend Spring Edition 2013: Always Orange, Forever Blue.
The Division of Student Affairs and the Dean of Students Office hosted the first Spring family weekend Friday through Sunday. Any undergraduate or graduate students’ family members were welcome to attend.
Dean of Students Jen Day Shaw said she hopes attendees experienced family bonding, fun and fellowship with other Gator families and university employees.
Students and their family members also took advantage of free admittance to Gator Nights, as well as reduced tickets to Gator athletic events, including basketball, lacrosse, gymnastics, baseball and tennis.
Dan Fox, Spring Family Weekend program chair and Campus Diplomat, worked with the New Student and Family Programs division of the Dean of Students Office to ensure Family Weekend happened according to plan. He said he enjoyed providing a platform on which students and families could bond together over exciting activities.
“We here at the University of Florida care a lot about our students and want them to have the best possible experience while here at the university,” said the 19-year-old marketing sophomore, “and by holding this Family Weekend, it is just another reason for a UF student to appreciate his university and be proud to be a Florida Gator.”
Yesenia Gomez, a student Preview coordinator, said students are so busy that it’s nice for them to be able to relax for one weekend. She assisted Family Weekend by running check-in Friday afternoon.
The 21-year-old psychology junior said she hopes this was the first of many more successful Spring family weekends for UF’s campus.
Israel Taylor, an 18-year-old UF health science freshman, and her family watch as "Magic Mike" makes her a Gator balloon bracelet at the Family Fest and Barbecue Lunch during Family Weekend.
