TU President Schatzel welcomes new Tigers home at Convocation
The Convocation ceremony on Friday was the welcoming event to new Towson University students, to be book-ended by commencement.
By Sean Welsh on August 23, 2019
For new students at Towson University, Friday was the starting line, with a preview of the finish line that is commencement.
Students — both freshmen and those who have transferred in to TU — gathered in SECU Arena Friday morning for Convocation, hearing from President Kim Schatzel, Provost Melanie Perreault and others, including the TU Band. Following Thursday's move-in for most of the 2,700 freshmen who will live on campus, and prior to Monday's first day of class for the 23,000 students on campus, Friday's event marked the true start of the academic experience at TU.
"Start here," President Schatzel said. "Start by making Towson University a better place — with all your fantastic diversity, your amazing intelligence and drive, your commitment to community, your desire to connect with new people and new places, your belief that we all can do well by doing good."
Perreault shared that the students transferring into TU come from 18 states and 17 countries.
"No matter where you started, you’re all Tigers now," Perreault said.
She encouraged students to seek help from faculty and staff early, and to get involved on campus — but most importantly: get to class.
Vincent Thomas, professor of dance in the College of Fine Arts & Communication, was the grand marshal for the event, and delivered the keynote remarks — getting the new students out of their comfort zone by asking them to move in their seats to represent messages both from he and other members of the academy.
He encouraged students to be full of value and free of judgment, to be curious about learning, to acknowledge that unique traits of individuals are valid, and to have fun.
“On this black and gold road to TU, open your senses, and discover,” he challenged the students.
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Santiago Solis then led the crowd in reciting The Tiger Pledge.
To close, SGA President Naimah Kargbo shared a message about her own journey and encouraged the new Tigers to find their purpose.
TU's culture of supporting one another and giving back was evident to those who moved in Thursday — they witnessed more than 300 fellow Tigers volunteering to help with the move-in process. The campus community volunteered more than 1 million community services hours in 2018.
This weekend, students will have an opportunity to get involved right away, with a series of events geared toward engagement.
Find a comprehensive, searchable list of campus activities here.
This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: Diverse and Inclusive Campus.