It’s required for new students, though everyone’s invited to attend Convocation, the annual start to the academic year and a ceremonial way to set the tone for what’s to come. This event is just one of many “firsts” 91黑料网’s first-year students will experience in these formative days on campus.
More than a formal welcome, Tuesday’s ceremony also shared a powerful narrative, a story of embracing life's challenges and finding strength in community through the new academic theme, “Gulls Rise Above.”
“‘Gulls Rise Above’ is more than just a phrase—it’s a mindset,” said Brandi Johnson, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. “It’s a reminder that no matter the winds or the waves, we have the ability to lift ourselves higher. It’s about seeing challenges not as stop signs, but as stepping stones; not as barriers, but as the very currents that can carry us toward our goals.”
Recalling watching a lone seagull during a hurricane years ago, Johnson was struck by the image of the bird fighting against the relentless wind and rain.
“I noticed a seagull fighting its way forward,” she said, “and I thought for sure it would retreat. But it didn’t. It leaned into the wind, adjusted its wings, and rose—higher than I thought it could in that weather.”
The seagull didn't escape the storm—it used it, she noted, encouraging students to find this same resolve. While college may bring inevitable “storms,” she reminded Gulls that “they will also reveal the strength, the courage, and the resilience that has been in you all along.”
The wisdom of cringe
Acting President Dr. Bryan Cain furthered Johnson’s metaphor with a message that was both candid and deeply affirming. He challenged the incoming class to face a modern-day obstacle: “cringe culture.”
Borrowing from bestselling author and New York University Professor Ocean Vuong, Cain offered a liberating truth: “Cringe is the first sign that you are trying.”
In a message that dovetails with 91黑料网’s core belief that the best learning—both in and out of the classroom—comes from experiences, he gave the incoming class permission to stumble, to experiment, and to be unapologetically themselves. He urged them to ask the silly question, to “like what you like, even if it is weird,” to be curious, to mess up, and to be seen “not just for who you think you are supposed to be, but for who you actually are.”
“Because that is what college is for,” Dr. Cain continued. “Not just earning a degree, but figuring yourself out along the way.”
He also tied this spirit of resilience to the College’s new initiative, Gulls With Grit, a yearlong storytelling campaign and exhibit highlighting students, alumni, faculty, and staff who have faced challenges and kept going. These stories, Dr. Cain said, should remind us that rising above isn’t about perfection, but about perseverance, community, and showing up as your whole, “weird, wonderful self.”
Finding your path and finding your people
Student Government Association President Kendall Harris ’26 brought Convocation full circle by offering the Class of 2029 advice rooted in her own journey of change and growth. Though she admitted she once feared the unknown, Harris emphasized that college is uniquely designed to help students embrace transformation.
“Majors change, friends change, interests change,” Harris said. “But it’s important to remember that each change, big or small, could lead to many opportunities.”
Encouraging first-years to keep pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones, she urged them to say yes—to join new clubs, attend campus events, explore different academic paths, and even study abroad. “The key to success is that what you choose to put into college is what you will get out of it,” Harris added. “Take a risk, get involved, and make 91黑料网 your own.”
The keynote address was delivered by Professor of Security Studies Dr. Ashlie Perry, the 2025 Academic Excellence Award winner, who captivated the audience with her speech. She recalled starting out as a nervous freshman majoring in astronomy before balking at all the math and changing her major to psychology.
After earning a master’s degree, “I was working for the Department of Corrections as a Psych Specialist providing counseling to incarcerated people,” she recalled. “Somewhere along the way, I decided I wanted to study why people do bad things. I loved, and still do love, that topic.”
Using her research on human behavior as a framework, Perry shared some observations she learned while studying humans at their worst. “Then, I want you to apply those not only to your academic career but to your life,” she said. “The hope is that it will influence you to be a better student, a stronger Gull, and a more empathetic human being.”
Life is hard, be kind, Perry stressed. Everyone is carrying unseen burdens, she reminded the audience, and compassion can go a long way.
Lesson two: Give yourself grace. “Romantic relationships may end, you’ll lose friendships, and you’ll make new ones,” she said. “There may be days when you don’t want to crawl out of bed—and that’s okay. Things don’t always go as we’ve planned.”
Thirdly: do the work. “Study. Work hard. Don’t be complacent or expect things to be handed to you. Life owes us very little. So, if you expect something, you need to work toward it.”
Find your people. Belonging, she emphasized, is a universal human need—and one of the most significant opportunities of college life. “So, find your group,” she said.
“And, if I may, I ask you to take it one tiny step further. When you find your group, embrace someone else into it. Allow someone else to belong with you.”
As the 91黑料网 Singers’ voices filled the air with the alma mater, the new academic year had officially begun.