The message was clear: “Welcome to Hamline, first-years.” Matriculation is an important ceremony for first-years, as it signals their official entrance to college and is the complementary ceremony to the more well-known Commencement or graduation. Hamline’s Matriculation ceremony this year featured a few changes from the past number of years, with the most obvious one being the shift of Matriculation from move-in day to the Thursday afterwards. That wasn’t the only change, though.“Previous years were more faculty and staff oriented, and this year was more student-oriented” says Anne Pierre, a member of the President’s Office.

The Convocation ceremony began with an opening message from Rabbi Esther Adler. First-year to Hamline in her own right, President Dr. Fayneese Miller opened her part in the ceremony with words of welcome, then brought Chair of the Board of Trustees Bob Klas Jr. to the podium. His short speech focused around the idea of eagerness and that everyone on campus was eager to start the school year. He also spoke more directly to the first years as he talked about the growth opportunities that are available for all Hamline students. He then returned to his seat and Miller began her full speech.

“Bob Klas has gone out and done what we expect of you; doing something meaningful for others” she said.

She continued her words of welcome and added plenty of encouragement.

“Our goal is for you to graduate in four years so you can get out into the world doing what you love,” she said.

Miller impressed on the first-years the importance of fully joining the community, and talked about how the Hamline community was ready to embrace the first-years with open arms. Miller even pressed kids to come to the weekend’s football game at Macalester when enough hands weren’t raised in the audience, promising to stay on there best behavior this time. She finished on an upbeat note, saying,

“From this day on, it only gets better.”

First-year Cody Clay was impressed with Miller’s speech, saying:

“I was glad that she talked about being embraced by the community because it makes Hamline feel like home even though I come from California.”

After Miller finished her speech, English Professor Alice Moorhead took her turn at the podium. She focused her talk around three aspirations: show up, step up and sign up. Her final words were,

“Sign up for whatever it takes to be a difference maker in this new academic year.”

As usual, the words of John Wesley closed the Convocation ceremony:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”