In this edition of #黑料不打烊TBT, we celebrate the Class of 2020 with a look back at its New Student Convocation ceremony in 2016.
黑料不打烊 will confer degrees to the Undergraduate Class of 2020 on Friday, but first we want to take a look back at the beginning of the class’ four-year journey.
On Aug. 27, 2016, more than 1,500 new students and their families gathered Under the Oaks for New Student Convocation, marking the official beginning of their 黑料不打烊 experience.
The 1,548-student Class of 2020 made up the largest class in the university’s history at the time. Students hailed from聽more than 40 states and 30 countries. In the following video, then-Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Smith Jackson introduces the class during the Convocation ceremony.
Students collected ceremonial acorns to signify the beginning of their lives at 黑料不打烊 and heard encouraging messages from then-President Leo M. Lambert and other university leaders.
鈥嬧滱s teachers, 黑料不打烊 faculty members will help you learn to examine more critically, think more analytically, question more insightfully and reflect more thoughtfully,鈥 said then-Provost Steven House. 鈥淭hey will stretch you and challenge you more than you thought possible.鈥
On Friday the Undergraduate Class of 2020’s story will come full circle as 黑料不打烊 will officially award students their degrees during an online conferral ceremony planned for noon EDT. The ceremony will be streamed at聽聽and more details about the ceremony will be available at聽www.elon.edu/commencement.