SUNY Oneonta will welcome back its first wave of new students on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20 as they move into the campus residence halls. More than 1,000 new undergraduate students from 13 states and three countries are expected, according to a news release from the university.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, members of the Class of 2030 will participate in Academic Convocation and Pass Through the Pillars.
“Designed to welcome new students into the scholarly community and give them a sense of belonging and unity, the convocation ceremony will feature several campus speakers and faculty members as well as a special bell ringing, using a bell from the university archives that was rung by a freshman back in the Oneonta Normal School days to signify the start of the new year.,” the release stated.
After taking a class photo on the hillside overlooking the upper quad, new students will participate in an annual tradition by walking between the pillars of Old Main – the university’s first building – “and into a welcoming, cheering crowd, signifying the beginning of their journey at Oneonta,” the release stated. They will pass back through in the opposite direction as seniors, the day before commencement.