Cougar News spoke with Dr. Amira Albalancy, professor of biology, about the Frisco Campus’ (Preston Ridge) Community on the Quad initiative. Read on to learn about this month’s musical event and discover how this enterprise began.
Don’t miss this month’s Frisco Campus Community on the Quad event.
Summer Evening of Music
Saturday, June 15
6-8 p.m.
Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Quad
Pack your picnic basket, blanket or chairs, and get ready to relax at this free, family-friendly concert. Let your cares drift away as you enjoy classical and jazz music performed by the Collin College Guitar Trio. The concert features the artistic talent of Collin College students Seth Delzell, Kathryn Lagrave, and Josh Smith. If there is inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge) Conference Center.
What is Community on the Quad?
Community on the Quad is an initiative aimed to increase exposure of Collin College to the community members via offering different events such as kids’ movie nights, nutrition and exercise fairs, trunk-or-treat events, and music performances. We are working on additional ideas for various types of cultural and fun events.
How did it start?
It started two years ago when Dr. Abe Johnson (former Frisco Campus VPP) asked me to put together a group of people to create a plan to offer events for the community.
Why did it start?
I went to a university in a small town, and the campus was a cultural center for the community (concerts, lectures for the community, fairs, and more). I presented the idea to Dr. Johnson. He asked if I would be willing to run with the idea and create our own committee.
Who is on the committee?
The committee is a combination of representatives from the faculty, staff, and administration. The current committee has served for the past two years, and we will welcome new members in rotation for the upcoming academic year.
Tell us about previous events.
In fall 2017, we had our first event – a family movie night in which we screened the movie “Zootopia” and served popcorn and soft drinks. We had about 40 people in attendance, and it was obvious that the kids enjoyed the movie.
In fall 2018, we held a Trunk-or-Treat event for Halloween. Faculty/staff members, departments, and community members decorated about 30 cars. The first prize for “best decorated car” went to one of the community members. Several people said they already have ideas on how to decorate their cars for next year’s event. We estimate that we had about 300 kids attending. We did not expect so many, and we actually had to purchase more candy. We also had a band (of our own professors) that played music for the visitors, and our decorated MobileGo Center hosted the kids and shared information about Collin College.
What are community members saying about the events?
Community members were pleasantly surprised to learn about the events, and they mentioned that they are looking forward to future events.
What’s in it for students?
Students are part of the community, and they are welcome to bring their families, friends, and neighbors to the events. Several of our students participated both as visitors or as presenters in the Trunk-Or-Treat event and the spring 2018 nutrition event.
Also, I think it is great for the community to meet with our students and see the opportunities that Collin College offers. Our students are the best “ambassadors to the community” we have.
How can I learn more about this group and future events?
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact Amira Albalancy at aalbalancy@collin.edu.