(Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus)

Dressed in Harvard Red and Yale Blue, SMU aluma Holly Austin Carroll tailgated on the Boulevard Saturday with her daughter, a SMU senior.

She was excited to celebrate her daughters’ education as well as her own.

Each fall semester, parents, siblings and extended family are encouraged to visit SMU for Family Weekend and participate in campus activities.

This year’s theme was “SMU: It’s a State of Mind” and had approximately 850 families in attendance.

Throughout the weekend, families were invited to events including, the Mom’s Club luncheon, Abroad Information session, Ford Stadium tour, Taste of Dallas Dinner, the 36th Annual

Talent Show and a Boulevard Barbecue before the SMU football game.

“It’s going great,” Family Weekend Chair and SMU junior John Angle said Saturday on the Boulevard. “Families are happy. We’re doing a great job and I’ve been very proud of my committee.”

Perspective high school students and younger siblings were able to attend an Admissions Reception and Panel on Friday afternoon.

The panel consisted of admissions counselors, students and parents.

Five hundred and fifty people attended the Taste of Dallas dinner held on Friday night.

The dinner featured five local restaurants; Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, Nick and Sam’s Grill, Patrizio’s, Mi Cocina and Society Bakery.

“Overall, I think it was a big success in part because we wanted to pick restaurants that we know SMU students and families frequent,” Hammesfar said.

Angle believed he achieved his goal for the weekend.

He wanted families to feel the SMU spirit and have a great time participating in SMU’s traditions on campus.

He also wanted parents to know their students are doing well at school, especially first-years.

However, the main reason families keep coming back to SMU for Family Weekend is for their children.

“We love the boulevard and seeing the kids and going to the game. We love it,” Carroll said.  

(Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus)