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The university announced last week that the annual Trojan Family Weekend event will take place from November 6 to November 9, several weeks later than the typical date.
Trojan Family Weekend occurs every year in the fall semester, and welcomes families to campus with informational sessions, campus tours, faculty discussions and more, according to the website. Most prominently, the event features a tailgate and football game, where families are welcome to join their Trojan in the student section. Typically Trojan Family Weekend is held in late September.
Some students said they are upset with the university’s decision because of the event’s proximity to Thanksgiving break. Clement Lesaicherre, a sophomore studying chemical engineering, said it’s impractical for his family to come for the event if he is going home for Thanksgiving.
“It wouldn’t make sense to have an event that’s close to one of our holidays where people go and see their families,” Lesaicherre said. “For freshmen students especially, who have recently moved into college, I think it’s easier for them if their parents come support them early on.”
Other students, like Brenda Melgoza, a sophomore public relations major, prefer the later date. Melgoza said it’s nice to see family later in the semester after some time apart.
“I think it’s better that it starts in November because since school starts in August, I already see my parents,” Melgoza said. “It’s better for them to come in November when I haven’t seen them in a while.”
Some students remain indifferent. While several cited frustration over the rising cost of airline tickets, many said they did not mind the change, or were not expecting family to come regardless of the date.
The university has not yet released the schedule of events, but it may be similar to events from previous semesters, with activities for the entire university community and for the individual schools, according to the website.
With five months until the fall semester begins, there is still time for the university to change the date in the coming months. For now, it appears the event will go on as planned at the start of November. Next semester’s Trojan Family Weekend will align with the November 8 game against Northwestern University.