Traditional event traces graduation trail

About 2,000 incoming freshmen and transfer students walked from the Memorial Union Quad to Gill Coliseum on Tuesday before Oregon State University’s Convocation. OSU administrators hope that many of them will take the same route a few years later, during graduation ceremonies.

“It’s just a neat tradition,” said Leslee Mayers, assistant director of new student programs and family outreach.

The New Student Walk started five years ago, and has doubled the audience at the convocation, which parents, faculty members and returning students also attended. Convocation is a formal welcome to new students at OSU.

“This is the start of a journey,” said Ryan Mann, president of the Associated Students of OSU, told the crowd. “It’s truly going to be a great ride.”

Still, if it seems easy, students aren’t challenging themselves enough, said OSU President Ed Ray.

“I guarantee you will find amazing opportunities here at OSU,” he said. Students at other universities can only dream about some of OSU’s features, such as a nuclear reactor, ocean-going vessels and research forests.

At the Memorial Union Quad, incoming freshmen and transfer students were handed orange and black tassels, as well as orange bracelets.

Josh Scacco, who lives at home in Blodgett, said he’d already been walking around the university that day, trying to explore campus on his 18th birthday.

“I don’t really know a lot of the buildings’ names, but I’m trying to get the landmarks,” he said, holding one of the orange and black tassels.

Audrey Marconi said she and her best friend, Ally Childers, decided to check out the events after receiving postcard invitations. The 18-year-old Portland residents arrived on campus Tuesday and moved into their residence hall rooms.

Eighteen-year-old Patrick Frazier of Gresham, who moved into Acacia on Saturday, also attended the New Student Walk and Convocation. “My fraternity said I had to,” Frazier said. “They said, ‘You’ll do the walk, and then you’ll do it your senior year, and you’ll know the difference.’”

BY THE NUMBERS

3,507 — estimated new freshmen at OSU

932 — new transfer students

940 — new graduate students

50 — number of states represented

61 — countries represented

14 — age of the youngest incoming freshman

78 — age of the oldest incoming freshman

Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.