MavsMeet kicks fall semester into high gear
Hundreds of UTA students packed Brazos Park and the University Center Mall Monday for MavsMeet, a welcome back party to kick off the fall semester.
With another triple-digit day and the first day of classes in the history books, students traded syllabi and classrooms for food, dancing, zip lines and even a mechanical bull.
Party music could be heard from as far away as the Central Library, growing louder as students approached Brazos Park. A blue, orange and white balloon arch gave way to a line stretching nearly to Ransom Hall as students waited for Raising Cane’s chicken fingers, barbecue, churros, snow cones, boba and more.
Students launched down zip lines, played volleyball and hacky sack, picked up fluorescent airbrushed shirts and UTA-themed temporary tattoos, and climbed inside a human claw machine. Spider-Man even made an appearance.
Near the dance floor, junior theater major Jason Jackson was catching his breath after helping get the crowd moving to the timeless party classic Cupid Shuffle.
Jackson, who is also a resident assistant on campus, said he had spent the evening dancing, talking with friends and checking out the attractions.
"I love dancing to the music and the zip line is really cool," Jackson said. "I've just been enjoying myself and talking to friends while I've been out here."
For Jackson, events like MavsMeet are part of what students should seek out during their time at UTA.
His advice to new Mavericks was simple: "Go outside."
"It sounds ridiculous. It sounds like the simplest piece of advice you could get," Jackson said. "But really, you can let the world pass you by in your dorm, in your apartment, wherever you are."
Getting out and connecting with people who share similar interests, he said, can change a student's college experience.
"It'll open up so many doors in your life," Jackson said. "So many possibilities."
For some students, particularly those just beginning their first semester at UTA, the night offered something more important than free food and activities.
Freshman nursing major Ashanti Gonzalez moved onto campus last week and spent her first day of classes learning her way around.
“I'm still trying to figure out where everything is, trying to adapt to my surroundings,” Gonzalez said.
Meeting people has also taken some adjustment.
“It's been a little bit difficult to try to meet others on my own, but events like this have really made it easier for me to socialize with others,” she said. “As a freshman, you don't really know anybody, so it's a really good opportunity to socialize.”
Fellow freshman Alexander Petui wasted little time testing his skills. His first mission was the mechanical bull, which eventually bucked him off following a relentless battle.
“I lasted like 15 seconds the first time I rode one. I was hoping I could beat my record,” Petui said. “I was holding on for dear life, and I managed to increase it by 23 seconds.”
His first day in the classroom had been considerably calmer, consisting mostly of introductions and reviewing the syllabus. A computer science major, Petui said he entered college feeling both nervous and excited about living on his own and figuring things out for himself.
Adien Clark, a sophomore communications major, came with his roommates after seeing posters promoting the event. The zip line initially caught his attention, but he also tried the inflatable obstacle course and tried his luck with the human claw machine—he emerged with an oversized stuffed Maverick.
His plans for the prized horse were of a charitable nature.
“I’m going to give it to somebody,” Clark said. “It'll fill up too much space in my dorm."
As daylight faded on the first day of the semester, neon lights pierced through the trees and students continued arriving from late classes. A large crowd gathered around the dance floor as the extreme heat eased off some while music and conversation continued to hum across campus.
— Written by Dylan Stewart
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.