Ohio State University's Convocation ceremony is one steeped in academic tradition. For the last 100 years, Convocation has served as the official welcome to the university for incoming first-year students and acts as a bookend to commencement.
It also has a reputation for being, as President Ted Carter described it, a bit stuffy.
That's why this year Ohio State's Office of Student Life revamped the event as part of the university's Welcome Week agenda. The event, held Aug. 25 inside the Schottenstein Center, felt more like a pep rally than a formal ceremony for the hundreds of students who attended.
Buckeyes Head Coach Ryan Day kicked off the event, challenging new students to consider: "What do you want the next four years to look like?"
Day reminded the freshman that Ohio State can be a fresh start for them and said it's never been a better time to be Buckeye, between its athletic and academic achievements, as well as what is happening citywide.
He also called on everyone to show up loud and proud for the Buckeyes home opener against the Texas Longhorns. Every student was gifted a red rally towel emblazoned with the word "THE" for the game.
Convocation's traditional academic procession of deans and trustees wearing their academic robes was replaced with just Carter, Provost Ravi Bellamkonda and Senior Vice President of Student Life Melissa Shivers, seated in arm chairs and wearing scarlet and gray.
"You could've chose to go anywhere, and you chose here," Carter told the crowd in his opening remarks.
Instead of university and student leaders taking turns sharing prepared remarks at a podium, incoming students got a history lesson about some of Ohio State's symbols, like the university's seal and the alma mater, "Carmen Ohio."
Ohio State's Men's Glee Club walked students through "Carmen, Ohio," pausing after each line to hear from different speakers around the arena. Speakers included Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Ohio State Marching Band Drum Major Joshua Ford, and Molly Ranz Calhoun, president and CEO of the Ohio State Alumni Association.
Ginther rolled into the Schottenstein Center on a COTA bus, joined by mascots from the city's professional sports teams: Stinger, Crew Cat, Krash and Louseal.
Students won gift cards to Columbus cultural institutions and local restaurants through the event, and Brutus Buckeye tossed out a handful of t-shirts.
Despite all of the new changes, a few traditions remained the same. Students were gifted a scarlet and gray tassel, which Bellamkonda said resembles the tassel they will wear at graduation as a reminder of their goals, as well as a Block O lapel pin. Convocation ended with the entire arena singing Carmen Ohio together.
Classes officially resume for Ohio State students on Aug. 26.
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State takes Convocation from 'stuffy' to 'pep rally' for new students
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