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Lycoming College welcomed the class of 2022 and transfer students to campus during its annual New Student Convocation on Friday, Aug. 24. The traditional ceremony, which marks the beginning of each academic year, was held on the College’s upper quad near Clarke Chapel.
The ceremony began with the opening of the David B Sykes gates by the student senate officers, followed by a procession of the new class to the quad, where they joined friends and family, the College’s president, and faculty and staff in academic regalia. This year’s incoming class represents 21 states, and 12 countries, including such faraway places as China, Liberia, India, Vietnam, and Sweden. Twenty-two percent were among the top ten percent of their high school class, and twenty-five percent are first-generation college students.
The Lycoming College Brass Ensemble, directed by William Ciabattari, Ph.D., conductor and associate professor of music, performed several selections for the prelude and the processional. The Lycoming College Choir, under the direction of assistant professor of music Daniel Hall, Ph.D., sang the alma mater and performed Brad Richmond’s arrangement of “Ipharadisi.”
Michael Panczyszyn ’19, an astrophysics major from Linden, Pa., and president of the student senate, addressed the new students on behalf of the student body. He spoke to the class about the inevitable change they will experience during their four years at Lycoming, and challenged them to embrace it.
President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., spoke about Lycoming being a place for students to “think deeply and act boldly.” He noted that the students who do so are those who achieve the most success, and find their college experience the most fulfilling. Trachte stated, “They seize the opportunity to design their education. They shape and author a plan for success. By following their example, you, too, will be prepared to find success and meaning in your college experience.”
The faculty address was delivered by Kerry Richmond, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice and criminology. Richmond made the case that Lycoming’s liberal arts degree will not only prepare students for their careers, but for a lifetime of learning.
Dean of First-Year Students, Andrew Kilpatrick, concluded the event by congratulating the class. He invited the audience to attend the reception for new students and their families hosted by President Trachte, which immediately followed the ceremony.