The Canavan Arena was filled with wide-eyed and well dressed freshmen alongside Stevens community veterans Wednesday for Stevens’ yearly Convocation ceremony. All fell silent as the faculty procession strode through the middle of the room, clad in black robes that symbolized the importance of this formal induction not only into the Stevens community, but also to the Stevens honor system.
President Farvardin opened with a welcoming speech that was filled with deserved praise for Stevens, stating “The Academic profile of this year demonstrates that the best and brightest are attracted to Stevens.” President Farvardin emphasized Stevens’ commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship and also mentioned briefly that there would be a required freshman course based on entrepreneurship. He also touched on facts such as the number of new programs for students that focus of business and technology as well as statistics such as Stevens high national rankings in surveys conducted that measure universities’ returns on investment, average wage following graduation, and other points meant not only to brighten the hopes of the class of 2018, but to also reinforce the value of Stevens for two honored guests, Steven Fullop, Mayor of Jersey City, and Dawn Zimmer, Mayor of Hoboken.
After being introduced with a short account of his accomplishments, Steven Fulop, current Mayor of Jersey City and veteran of Iraq (from serving in the Marine Corps), spoke to the Stevens community about his life and about how certain experiences affected him and his outlook in certain areas such as his constituents. He left the podium with a strong word of advice for the Stevens community: “There is nothing to be afraid of when you’re being honest with yourself,” he said. Shortly after, Dawn Zimmer, current Mayor of Hoboken, took the podium and spoke at length about Stevens’ commitment to its involvement in the town of Hoboken. She addressed the incoming freshmen, welcoming them not only to the university but also the community. “Think about how you can get involved in your Hoboken community,” she said. Following three inspirational and exciting speeches, various awards were presented to both faculty and students.
A special award was presented to Dr. Rajarathnam Chandramouli, most recently a co-founder of Dynamic Spectrum LLC, by both Stephen T. Boswell, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and President Farvardin. Dr. Chandramouli was presented the honorary degree of Master of Engineering in recognition of his contributions and accomplishments in the fields of science, business, and technology. Following the presentation, Vice Provost of Academics Constantin Chassapis presented faculty awards.
After waiting for nearly an hour, the class of 2018 was welcomed by Marybeth Murphy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, who repeated a previous statement she made about the class of 2018 being, “The class that brought the sunshine with them,” and keeping her greeting brief, was followed by Kristen Romanowski, President of the Student Government Association. Romanowski commented on her own time here at Stevens and how everyone in the class of 2018 should cherish that time here like she has, as well as our time on Earth.
Finally, after a long lecture on the nature of the honor system, freshmen stood and were formally inducted into the honor system by Shane Arlington, President of the Stevens Honor Board. After all formal introductions were completed, the Class of 2018 banner was revealed and met with applause, followed shortly after by the presentation of student awards and ended with a performance of the Alma Mater by the President’s Ensemble.
Convocation marks the official introduction for the class of 2018 into the Stevens community. David Zimmerman, Executive Director of University Events and Stevens alumnus remarked that the best part of Convocation is “The entire community coming together and welcoming the freshmen into the family that is Stevens.” At last, the freshmen have joined the Stevens family and because of the tradition and inspiring nature of Convocation, the freshmen no longer have to worry about feeling as if they do not belong. Convocation is held precisely for this purpose, to reinforce their sense of family and belonging, and to formally begin their lives in the incredible Stevens community.
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