Traditions

#PawsUp Handsign

"Paws Up!" is the campus handsign. To display your spirit and pride with this handsign:

• Hold your hands out in front of you with your fingers straight and spread apart slightly. 
• Bend your elbow slightly and stagger your hands, with one higher than the other.
• Curl your fingers: Bend your fingers inward at the middle and top knuckles. Your fingers should look rounded but not clenched into a fist.
• Bend your thumb inward slightly so that it curves toward the center of your palm.

*This is a great pose to do with Jax, our university mascot, or with your friends at a Basketball game.

Traiblazer Thursdays

On Thursdays, we wear BLUE! Attend events on campus to start your collection of Trailblazer swag and wear your spirit on Trailblazer Thursday! 

Jax the Mascot

Jax is the mascot for UNT Dallas. He embodies the Trailblazer spirit as a large cat-like animal, and can be seen on campus at various events, including commencement, homecoming, welcome week, photobooths, etc.

Mascot

Festival Weeks

Festival weeks are annual traditions that occur across a week in August, October, January, and April. Those include Welcome Weeks, Homecoming, and Blazer Days. These events are coordinated by the Office of Student Engagement.

Welcome Week (August/January)

Welcome Week occurs during the first week of the semester, with various events that display pride, introduce traditions, and kickstarts the fun and student engagement on campus.

Homecoming (October)

Homecoming is determined by the athletic schedule and the team's first home game. Usually, this occurs during the last few weeks of October. This event invites all students, alumni, and friends of the university to reconnect to campus, unite all Trailblazers past and present, celebrate traditions, and showcase our Trailblazer pride!

Blazer Days (April)

Blazer Days take place in the last few weeks of April. It serves as our student appreciation week, which inlcudes events to celebrate our Trailblazers like our Campus Awards.

New Student Convocation

New Student Convocation is a ceremony for new students and their families that commemorates the beginning of the student’s journey at UNT Dallas. The Light of Learning ceremony takes place at this event and signifies the commitment of attaining a higher education degree.

Cord & Ring Ceremony

The Cord & Ring Ceremony is a cherished tradition at the University of North Texas at Dallas, and it signals Commencement is nearing as excitement on campus begins to grow. It is also a ceremony where the University community unites and honors the graduating students for the semester who receive cords, stoles, and rings.