āEmbrace the process:ā New students officially begin their academic journey at ¾«¶«AVās 112th Convocation
The annual event concluded Welcome Weekend and marked the opening of the academic year.
In her keynote address at ¾«¶«AV’s 112th Convocation on Aug. 31, Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies Julia Flagg told ¾«¶«AV’s newest students that her advice for them is quite simple: “Embrace the process.”
“A narrow focus on achievements or getting to your final destination quickly—to the exclusion of enjoying and embracing the process of learning—can be stifling. It can limit how you challenge yourself and shorten the list of possibilities you might consider for yourself and for your future,” she told the Class of 2030 and the transfer students who arrived on campus last week.
Learning is not a straightforward process that “moves neatly from A to B to C,” she explained, but instead a “messy, circuitous process” that results in real growth.
“Embrace the day-to-day struggle of learning, of writing, of revising, of refining, even when you don't know, or maybe especially when you don't know, where those steps in the process will lead you,” she told the students. “Embrace the process, embrace the challenge, embrace the mess. We are here to help you navigate it, and we can't wait to help you start.”
Convocation, which marks the conclusion of Welcome Weekend and opening of the academic year, began with a procession into the Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium. Earlier in the day, the newest Camels rang the Castle Court Gong, a tradition that marks the beginning of their collegiate career—they will next ring the gong on the day of their Commencement.
The new students also signed the Honor Code Pledge, which marks an important transition into the ¾«¶«AV community.“The Honor Code is our shared promise to live and learn with integrity, respect and responsibility,” Interim Dean of the Faculty Deborah Eastman said. “It is the foundation for how we learn, how we lead and how we live together at ¾«¶«AV.”
In her remarks, President Andrea E. Chapdelaine reminded the students that they have been welcomed not just into a college, but into a community grounded in scholarship, honor and shared responsibility.
“You’ve joined a long tradition of students who have shaped ¾«¶«AV through curiosity, creativity and compassion. As we begin this new academic year together, I hope you’ll carry forward the spirit of this ceremony—one of connection, commitment and collaboration.”
As part of the ceremony, students recite the Matriculation Pledge, in which they accept membership into the community and pledge to “uphold standards of behavior governed by honor.” The event also featured a Call to Community by Rabbi Jessica Goldberg, director of Zachs Hillel House and College chaplain, who shared advice from the Mishnah, a sacred text codified around the second century; a land acknowledgment by Dean of the College and Vice President for Retention and Success Erika J. Smith; and remarks by Trustee Diane Stratton ’91.
The ceremony concluded with the signing of the Shared Governance Covenant by Chapdelaine, Stratton, Chair of the Faculty Steering and Conference Committee Professor Suzuko Knott, Staff Council Chair Merrill Collins and Student Government Association President Vincent Tan ’27, followed by the singing of the Alma Mater, led by Persephone Hall, Hale Family Executive Director of the Hale Center for Career Development, with musical accompaniment from the Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra.
Over the extended Welcome Weekend, students learned more about the College’s signature ¾«¶«AV program, met with their advisers, registered for classes and enjoyed a series of social events. Classes for all students began today.
