Download Image: Web
Lycoming College welcomed first-year and transfer students during the New Student Convocation on Aug. 24. In keeping with a long-held tradition, students marched through the David B Sykes Gate to mark the beginning of their academic year. Student Senate officers and Chip Edmonds, Ed.D. ’98, executive vice president, then led the group through campus to Lamade Gymnasium where faculty, staff, family, and friends joined in celebration and recognition.
The Class of 2027 is comprised of 300 new students. They are a diverse group as 28 percent of the class are domestic students of color. Nearly half reside outside of Pennsylvania, including 16 different states and eight countries from around the world. Twenty-two percent follow in the footsteps of many alumni as first-generation college students, and 19 students are legacies whose parents are alumni of the institution. More than 20 percent of the Class ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, and 139 are student-athletes who will represent the Warriors on varsity teams this year.
Daniel Miller, Ed.D., vice president for student life and dean of students, provided a warm welcome to attendees, followed by Quincy Blair ’24, president of Student Senate, who invited the incoming students to join him in reciting the Warrior Honor Pledge. Philip Sprunger, Ph.D., provost and dean of the faculty, officially presented the Class of 2027.
In his charge to the Class of 2027, President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., said, “It is an exciting time in your life — a time filled with possibilities. It is a time to learn new ideas, engage in new experiences, and form new relationships. You are preparing for a lifetime of meaning and careers filled with success.”
In his charge to the Class of 2027, President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., said, “It is an exciting time in your life — a time filled with possibilities. It is a time to learn new ideas, engage in new experiences, and form new relationships. You are preparing for a lifetime of meaning and careers filled with success.” He also offered advice for how the students should approach their academic careers at Lycoming.
“I have challenged you to adopt the Warrior spirit by thinking deeply and acting boldly,” Trachte concluded. “In return, I pledge to you that Lycoming College will invest in creating a learning environment that supports all of you in being successful. We are committed to mentoring and guiding you as you discover your passions. We believe in teaching and challenging you to realize your potential. We are confident that if you embrace the Warrior spirit, you will graduate with the critical thinking skills, sophisticated intercultural skills, and the interpersonal skills needed to succeed in today’s complex and diverse society.”
A heartfelt address was delivered by faculty marshal Elizabeth Moorhouse, Ph.D., and associate professor of economics. “I think if you are doing college right, it should feel hard. It should feel overwhelming and sometimes scary. This just means you are stretching yourself and trying new things,” Moorhouse said. “Be patient. Stick with it. Believe that you can do hard things, and if that belief starts to wane...know that there is a whole network of support here at the College you can lean on to get through those tough times.” Susan Ross, Ph.D., dean of the College, followed with encouraging closing remarks.
The Lycoming College Brass Ensemble, directed by William Ciabattari, Ph.D., associate professor of music and chair of the department, performed the prelude, processional, and recessional. Recently appointed assistant professor of music, Patrick Chiu, Ph.D., led members of the Lycoming College Choir in the National Anthem, a musical interlude, and the College’s alma mater.
A recording of the Class of 2027 New Student Convocation can be viewed at www.lycoming.edu/calendar/live.aspx.
Celebrating the Class of 2024
In August 2020, students arrived on campus amidst a global pandemic, and they were unable to participate in the time-honored tradition of first-year students processing through the David B Sykes Gate. On Aug. 30, the Class of 2024, now seniors, gathered to reclaim their rite of passage as PageCarol Woods, Ed.D., assistant dean for student success, and Cullen Chandler, Ph.D., Chair of the Faculty and Frank and Helen Lowry Professor of History, opened the gate to welcome them.
Participants joined together on the Intramural Field as President Trachte addressed the seniors, commending them for their perseverance during these unprecedented years and stating they are the first and only class to ever process through both the David B Sykes Gate and Oliver Sterling Metzler Gate in a single academic year. Their time at Lycoming will go down in the College’s history.
Rebekah Hromyak ’24, senior class president, greeted her classmates and reflected on their journey at Lycoming. Attendees proceeded across campus to celebrate and enjoy refreshments on the Freet Plaza located outside the Krapf Gateway Center.