Class of 2025 gathers for first in-person convocation ceremony in two years

| Senior News Editor
A crowd of young looking people wearing brightly colored shirts dances in an outdoor area at night with raised hands. multicolored inflatable beach balls bounce above their heads.Holden Hindes | Student Life

Freshmen dance at the “Party in the Park” concert following convocation.

1,994 Washington University freshmen gathered on Brookings Quad for the time-honored tradition of Convocation, Aug. 28, marking the end of orientation and the official start of the academic year.

Students marched in with their residential colleges, led by WUSAs and RAs, cheering and chanting before listening to Chancellor Andrew Martin address the crowd. Following the ceremony, both students and faculty gathered for a party on the East End of campus.

“Each person here was invited to be part of this most outstanding class because we believe that your place is here, with us, with each other,” Martin said in his address. “We chose not simply the strongest applicants; we chose an intentionally diverse community of scholars to live, learn and work together.”

Speakers also included Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Anna Gonzalez, Provost Beverly Wendland and senior ​​Shubham Tayal. Academic deans and faculty fellows processed and were present on-stage as well.

Though convocation was completely virtual last year, this year’s event was still not completely back to normal. Parents and families of the freshmen class have historically attended the address on campus, but this year, they were encouraged to watch virtually. As of 2 p.m. on Aug. 30, the livestream was viewed 2,418 times.

Freshman Emma Gerber went to convocation with her residential building floor and said that it was “really great” being together in-person with her class.

“I just kept thinking about how lucky we were to all be together,” Gerber said. “Especially the energy with our residential college when we were doing all the cheers and were all together and seeing all the people with the different colors of shirts. It was just really cool, the energy was something that you could never replicate virtually.”

Young looking people in green T shirts with white WashU logos sit in white folding chairs in an outdoor area with overcast skies.Holden Hindes | Student Life

Freshman chat on Brookings Quadrangle before convocation.

Gerber and her fellow classmates arrived on campus earlier this week to move into their residential rooms and begin orientation after an unprecedented college admissions process upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many freshmen, their senior years of high school and application processes were virtual, and the University received a record number of applications, culminating in a class Provost Wendland described as “the largest and most diverse class in our history” in her convocation address.

Joining the freshman and transfer students in their first year at the University is Gonzalez, who was appointed in March to succeed Dr. Lori White in the role of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

“Students–like you, I too am in my first year at Wash. U,” Gonzalez said. “I too am still trying to learn the names of buildings… Like most of you, I am making new friends, discovering that there are amazing cultural gems in the great city of St. Louis and learning people’s names and stories.”

The final speaker of the evening was senior Shubham Tayal, who told the story of “the chance to reclaim my name” upon coming to Washington University. Tayal detailed how he allowed the mispronunciation of his name throughout high school but took the opportunity at college to “reclaim something that defines who I am and titles my story.”

“We strive to understand who you are and what your journey is because being successful is defined and achieved differently by each person,” Tayal said.

A man in a dark suit with a red tie stands at a wooden podium with "Washington University" written on it. To his left, people in green robes, black caps and masks sit in folding chairs. The Washington University seal hangs above their heads.Holden Hindes | Student Life

Student speaker Senior Shubham Tayal speaks about reclaiming his name and finding his identity at Washington University.

Gerber said she loved Tayal’s speech about being himself and being accepted at the University.

“My favorite speaker by far was the student speaker,” Gerber said. “He was really good, and I feel like I’ve had the most conversations about his speech with people. My friend actually went up to find him afterwards and shook his hand because he was so moved by the speech.”

Freshman Augie Nieberle said that he was focusing on something different during convocation, as he and many of his peers were probably thinking about being back together again.

“It was a bit surreal to be the right word,” Nieberle said. “My sister went to Wash. U. [and] I was [in] eighth grade, [and] I remember being in the basketball stadium upper deck looking out over the crowd… and it was weird thinking about me being the one … It felt [like] this amazing thing, turning back the clock in my head and thinking about how far I’ve come.”

To close the convocation ceremony, Martin told students of the commemorative coin under their seats that “represents Wash. U.’s investment in you.”

“In several years, when you are ready to graduate from Wash. U., I invite you to give this coin to someone else as a token of appreciation for their support and contribution to your success – perhaps a family member or an inspiring faculty or staff member who makes a mark on your Wash. U. career,” Martin said.

Sign up for the email edition

Stay up to date with everything happening at Washington University and beyond.

Subscribe