The freshmen class of 2017 was officially welcomed into the Seton Hall community Sunday August 25 during the annual convocation ceremony in the Walsh Gymnasium.
The hour-long ceremony began with the procession of the Seton Hall University bagpipers, and was lead by Master of Ceremonies Vice President of Student Services Tracy Gottlieb. Freshmen students and families filled the gymnasium to experience invocation into the university together.
Convocation is a Seton Hall tradition for freshmen every year. It welcomes students not only into the student body, but also unites them as a class together as a whole under the motto of Seton Hall: Hazard Zet Forward.
"The ceremony made us feel more welcome and part of a community instead of just a freshman," Nicole Williamson said. "We're all in the same boat."
Students were encouraged to become "active and engaged members of the community" in a speech made by Student Government Association President, Joe Donato.
"It was a very uplifting speech. Everybody was pumped up... he created a sense of unity," Freshman Dylan O'Byrne said.
"I'm super excited to be a pirate!" freshman Devynn Nolan said.
Mary Marshall can be reached at mary.marshall@student.shu.edu
