Auburn University Montgomery greeted its newest Warhawks last Friday during the university’s annual New Student Convocation, where students learned what it means to be a Warhawk.
The event started at 9:30 a.m. at the Taylor Center where students were grouped by college, including the College of Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the University College, giving new students an opportunity to mingle with other freshmen and transfer students from their college. At 10 a.m. students lined up for the official convocation walk to the Athletics Complex where they were cheered, welcomed and congratulated by faculty, staff and other students on the start of their college journey.
“When it gets hard, and in college it will get hard, do not be afraid to reach out for help,” said AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton, who gave words of encouragement alongside Student Government Association President Samuel “Goose” Alford. Who gave advice and personal testimonies about his time at AUM.
Many students at convocation donned their AUM orientation t-shirts, creating a sense of oneness and school unity. Stockton encouraged the new students to embrace the university’s values of wisdom, excellence and service, and to begin creating connections with other students, professors and campus resources. During the convocation the AUM cheerleaders performed the AUM fight song alongside Curtiss the Warhawk. The AUM staff band led by AUM Police Chief Brenda Mitchell also performed during the convocation.
After the convocation ended students went back to the Taylor Center. During this time the students were able to build more connections with both students and professors within their college.
Convocation was the culmination of AUM’s traditional Warhawk Welcome Week, including social events, campus tours and student success seminars.
The ceremony and week of festivities are designed to usher in a strong sense of belonging and prepare students for a successful first year coming in with a bang. “I thought it was a lovely way for students to get acquainted with the college life and community,” says freshman Anthropology major Skylar Williams.
