New class meets old tradition

Convocation is the only day until graduation that the new Class of 2016 will assemble in one room together.

And this year, no hurricane was there to prevent the 2,400 first-years from gathering.

New students packed into a stuffy Patrick Gym wearing colored t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “UVM Class of 2016” for the ceremony that took place Aug. 26.

Much of the event focused on academic quality, especially since the new class has the highest average SAT scores in English, reading and math that UVM has ever seen.

President Thomas Sullivan praised the class for their academic strengths, but warned them that college is difficult and UVM will most definitely challenge them.

“With tremendous talent, also comes great responsibility,” Sullivan said.

Throughout the ceremony the students heard from a number of speakers including the President of the Student Government Association Connor Daley, University Herald Robert Tyzbir and Board of Trustees vice chairman Harry Chen.

Many of the speakers compared the assigned summer reading book, This I Believe by Jay Allison, with the new students’ transformation from high school into college.

Following the gathering in the Patrick Gym, the new students paraded down to the University Green behind a mobile performance of African drummers for the 2016 twilight induction.

Without knowing exactly what to expect, first-year Angela Seccafico found the ceremony interesting.

“It makes me feel more confident about coming into the school as a freshman, and more comfortable with everyone here so I am excited for the year,” she said.

Sarah Headley did not attend the event, but she did not think she and her friends missed much.

“We opened the doors 15 minutes late and immediately decided we were going to spend our time in the grundle eating dinner as opposed to melting in the gym,” she said.

Nate Matteson had a more ambivalent reaction to convocation.

“I personally thought it was a nice little welcome to a school where I probably won’t be anything more than an ID number in the grand scheme of things,” he said. “The twilight ceremony was cool but it would have been a lot better had it actually been somewhat dark.”

“Overall, it was just another freshman first week obligation that will probably be forgotten,” Matteson said.