The Class of 2028 is urged to come together and “look out for each other and this community.”
After a tumultuous 2023–24 year at Penn, a new school year—the University’s 285th—began in August with the official welcoming of the Class of 2028. And although last year’s protests and unrest were acknowledged during Convocation, the main emphasis throughout the ceremony at Franklin Field was on new beginnings and unity—and the word “embrace.”
During his remarks, Provost John L. Jackson Jr. encouraged the University’s first-year students to both embrace new things and “embrace humility, not hubris” as they meet their classmates and debate hot-button issues. He acknowledged that “this is a time of strong opinions and deep divisions, but I want to challenge you to find a way to be in this world that doesn’t fall victim to the polarizing tendencies that seem to infect every facet of our society.” To do so, Jackson added, it’s important to “step out of your comfort zone” with the classes you take and the people you encounter, while always striving to be empathetic. He also urged “a willingness to embrace what is new to you”—whether that means playing a new sport, trying a new activity, or exploring a different culture.
Speaking at his first Convocation, Interim President J. Larry Jameson highlighted four “quintessential” characteristics of Penn—anchored, interwoven, inventive, and engaged—and urged the students to “embrace these principles” and “embrace Penn.” In describing these principles, which also form the basis for the University’s strategic framework In Principle and Practice [“Gazetteer,” Sep|Oct 2024], he explained that Penn is anchored in its proud history and tradition of interwoven partnership and teamwork. And he challenged the students to be inventive and bold in facing obstacles, while always remaining engaged with the communities around them.
“There is another thing we all share,” Jameson continued. “I believe it is so critically important to repeat this early and often. We share a responsibility to look out for each other and this community. To treat everyone, no matter their background or point of view, with the same courtesy and respect that we ourselves expect. These can be divisive days. No corner of the world is exempt. But here, when you join a community like this, what we share vastly outweighs what may divide us. Never forget that.”
Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule used boxing—a hobby she has taken on that’s helped her “adapt to pressure”—to paint a picture for the incoming class of tackling the next four years. “You will face familiar pressures of class content, exams, and deadlines. But you’ll also be challenged to explain your convictions, to reconsider your position, your approach, or your point of view,” she said. When facing these pressures, Soule challenged the students not to “just throw the throws you know,” but to “commit to learning new combinations, shore up your core, so that you have more to rely on when you need to focus your energy.”
Before some of the 2,396 members of the Class of 2028 and transfer students exited Franklin Field, Penn Masala, the Penn Glee Club, and the Penn Band performed music to mark the occasion. “The performances in between the speeches grabbed my attention,” first-year student Angela Wu said, and “made the event more enjoyable.” For Wu, Convocation “solidified the feeling of being on campus,” and another freshman, Alana Shin, shared that “after Convocation, I felt happy and excited to start college.”
—Hannah Chang C’27
