Baylor Welcomes Parents for Annual Parents Weekend Sept. 23-24

September 22, 2011

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Parents can experience what life is like as a "Baylor Bear" through various traditions and activities as Baylor University hosts Parents Weekend on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, on the Baylor campus.

A Baylor tradition since 1960, the annual event gives families of Baylor students the opportunity to learn more about the community and lifestyle on campus. Parents can experience Baylor's unique traditions, history, academic excellence, athletic programs and student talent with several scheduled events.

Friday

On Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. Baylor will host "Baylor in Focus," an exhibit in the Bill Daniel Student Center's Barfield Drawing Room, highlighting Baylor's future plans of development and expansion and the opportunities available to students. A cherished Baylor tradition, Dr Pepper floats, will be available all afternoon. The Bill Daniel Student Center is at 1311 S. Fifth St.

Tours, led by members and alumni of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, will run from the center of Baylor's campus at Fountain Mall throughout the afternoon. Parents will be able to gain further insight into the rich history that Baylor has to offer.

Also throughout the afternoon, parents and students will be able to walk through the second and third floors of the Bill Daniel Student Center to learn more about the various student organizations on campus during the Student Organizations Fair. Parents and students will meet sponsors, presidents and members of the more than 200 student organizations at Baylor.

From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., tours of the Paul L. Foster Success Center of the Sid Richardson Building will be offered by team members from the offices of Academic Advising, Academic Support Programs, Access and Learning Accommodation, Career Counseling and Career Services. Sid Richardson Building is at 1410 S. Fourth St.

Choral Concert

Five of Baylor's vocal ensembles will present their annual choral concert for Parents Weekend at 5 p.m. Friday in Jones Concert Hall of the Glennis McCrary Music Building on the Baylor campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The Women's Choir will open the program. Conducted by Aaron Hufty, lecturer in choral music at Baylor, the ensemble will sing "Gloria" from Mass No. 6 by Gyorgy Orban and Gerald T. Smith's "This is the Day."

The Men's Choir, led by Randall Bradley, professor of church music at Baylor, will perform "Oh, Sing Jubilee to the Lord" by Brad Holmes and "Dulaman" by Michael McGlynn.
Dr. Lynne Gackle, associate director of choral ensembles, will conduct the Concert Choir in "Pilgrim's Hymn" from Dan Davison's "Three Hermits" and Randy Haldeman's arrangement of the French folkdance "Verduron."

Gackle also will lead Bella Voce, a chamber ensemble of women's voices, in Ola Gjeilo's "Tundra" and a setting of "Ah! Si mon moine voulait danser" by Donald Patriquin.

The program will conclude with the A Capella Choir, led by Alan Raines, director of choral ensembles at Baylor. The choir will perform Blake Henson's "My Flight for Heaven" and Ivan Hrusovsky's "Rytmus."

The McCrary Music Building is at 100 Baylor Ave.

For more information, call the School of Music at (254) 710-3991 or click here.

After Dark

Baylor University students will perform at the annual After Dark variety show at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday in Waco Hall on the Baylor campus.

After Dark started in the early 1980s and is presented by Baylor University's department of student productions. Tickets are sold for $10, $12, $14 or $16, based on seating.

There will be 12 performances:

' Clare Berlinsky and Max Helmerich performing "Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars.

' Baylor Dance Company dancing to "Can't Stop" by Maroon 5.

' Phoebe Hailu performing "I Love You, I Do" from "Dreamgirls."

' Mario Barbosa playing an original piano piece.

' Samuel Pomeroy and Isaac Forester performing an original song "Evensong" on guitar and violin.

' Trannie Stevens performing an original song, "My Place in the Line."

' Zach Barba performing Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me."

' The Good Time Family Band performing "Killing Me Softly."

' Taylor Nall performing the comedy monologue, "Trigger Mortis: Frontier Mortician."

' Amy Boykin and Clark Jones performing "Bohemian Rhapsody."

' Michael Agnew performing an original song and rap, "Simple Days."

' Five-part male a cappella group performing "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
For more information, click here. For tickets, contact the Baylor Ticket Office at: (254) 710-3210 or email BDSCTickets.
Also on Friday, the traditional Dessert Party will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Founders Mall on the Baylor campus. Fresh pies, cakes, desserts, cookies, Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, coffee and punch will be served to the sounds of the Ed Burleson Band.

Saturday

On Saturday, the Parent-Faculty Coffee will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Burleson Quadrangle on the Baylor campus. Parents will be able to speak with Baylor faculty from each Baylor department and school.

"Exploring Waco," a new addition to Parents Weekend, will be from 12 to 6 p.m. Both on and off-campus opportunities will be available to students and parents, such as student organization or Baylor department events, as well as the many off-campus attractions Waco has to offer.

Parents Weekend activities will conclude with the Baylor vs. Rice football game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. For tickets, click here.
For more information about Parents Weekend, click here.
by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805