Mykel Del Angel/THE RIDER
University community lunches with the president
President Guy Bailey and other university officials served complementary burgers and drinks to students, faculty and staff for Picnic with the President.
The picnic took place Tuesday in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus and Wednesday in the University Ballroom on the Edinburg campus.
The event had an approximate attendance of 1,900 in Edinburg and 1,100 in Brownsville, according to Patrick Gonzales, vice president of University Marketing and Communications.
The annual UTRGV event occurs at the start of every fall semester where the university community can meet and talk to Bailey and his leadership team.
Gonzales said Bailey started Picnic with the President back when he was the chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2007.
“He’s really proud of the fact that he brought it to UTRGV,” he said.
Before the picnic starts, International Student Services holds an International Meet and Greet where volunteer students and staff parade through campus with flags representing their countries, led by UTRGV’s Marching Band and Drill Team.
Gonzales said Chartwells, the university food provider, is the one who prepares the food.
“Grill the burgers, set up all the toppings, the buns, bake the cookies and they provide the chips,” he said. “Really, the executive team that serves, that’s really the easy part.”
Among the dining services and administrative team serving the UTRGV community were Chasse Conque, senior vice president and director of Athletics, and Maggie Hinojosa, executive vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Student Affairs and deputy to the President.
Alize Alame, a biology sophomore, said she likes the event because it helps her “get out there” and believes it is good to have the president for events.
“It’s a good thing because not a lot of people know what he really looks like,” Alame said.
The Office of the President website also mentions it is important to organize more student events that are aimed to better the educational experience and a sense of belonging to the UTRGV community.
Hazzel Gomez, a communication studies junior, said she likes the event’s openness.
“I prefer the events to be more encouraging for students to go to,” Gomez said.
She said Bailey shaking everybody’s hands leaves an impact on the students.
“We get to see him face-to-face, and he’s more of a person to us than he is the president,” Gomez said.
Mykel Del Angel/THE RIDER
