Florida State to Welcome Class of 2013 at 'New Student Convocation'

Convocation is part of annual Seminole Sensation Week, which introduces students to life at FSU

The Florida State University will honor its incoming first-year students and welcome them officially into its community of scholars during New Student Convocation, an hour-long ceremony scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. (doors open at noon) on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.

Families and members of student organizations are invited to the event, which will introduce the Class of 2013 -- 6,100 of the state’s best students -- to Florida State University history and traditions and university pomp and circumstance.

“New Student Convocation shows our students what we value most in our academic community: scholarship, integrity, responsibility and leadership,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Lawrence G. Abele.

A free shuttle service for students will run between on-campus residence halls and the Civic Center. Convocation parking will be available free of charge at FSU’s St. Augustine Parking Garage (located on West Pensacola Street just west of the Civic Center; enter/exit garage from St. Augustine Street or Copeland Street) and for a $7 fee in lots at or near the Civic Center. Visit the Office of New Student & Family Programs Web site for directions and a shuttle map.

Sunday’s ceremony will begin with an academic procession that includes the deans of FSU’s 15 colleges in full academic regalia.

Darrin McMahon, the Ben Weider Professor of History at Florida State, will deliver the convocation address. Educated at the University of California-Berkeley and Yale University, McMahon joined the Florida State University faculty six years ago. His research into how different societies have viewed happiness led to the publication of his second book, “Happiness: A History.” At New Student Convocation, he will share his insights on pursuing happiness as a college student.

As always, New Student Convocation will feature FSU’s memorable Torch Ceremony, during which upper-class students pass the torches representing Vires (strength), Artes (skill) and Mores (character) to members of the first-year class. For 2009, the upper-class representatives are:

• (Vires) Melanie Cabassol, of Montgomery, Texas. She will graduate in the spring with a double major in psychology and child development and a minor in religion. A member of the Florida State Swimming and Diving Team, Cabassol has been on the ACC Honor Roll for the past two years and received the 2009 ACC Sportsmanship Award. This year, she will serve as president of the Student Athletic Advisory Council and as an Executive Board member of the Student Seminole Boosters.

• (Artes) Jeremy Bary of Tallahassee. A recipient of a 2009 Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award from FSU, Bary will graduate next spring with a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in business, chemistry and mathematics. He was invited to the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, where he spoke before national commentators and politicians. Bary serves as student vice-president of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and social director of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

• (Mores) Elizabeth Pagan of Gainesville, Fla. She will graduate next spring with a double major in international affairs and political science, a minor in history, and certificates in Global Pathways and Leadership Studies. Founder of the mentor program in the Social Justice Living-Learning Center at FSU, Pagan has a 3.991 GPA and has performed more than 1,000 hours of service in and around Tallahassee as well as in communities throughout the United States and overseas.

Serving as the torch recipients for the Class of 2013 are the three winners of FSU’s annual Vires, Artes, Mores essay contest for first-year students, which awards a $500 scholarship to each of the winning writers. In 2009, they are:

• Matthew Haddadin, who graduated with a diploma of distinction from West Shore High School in Melbourne, Fla. There, he was a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club and student government, and also served as yearbook section editor, Latin Honor Society president, and chief juror of teen court. At FSU, Haddadin will triple major in Accounting, Economics and Finance.

• Ajori Spencer, a music education major and native of Lumber City, Ga. Spencer was the valedictorian of his graduating class at Wheeler County High School, where he held office in the National Honor Society, National Beta Club and Future Educators Association.

• Geoffrey McLatchey, of Winter Park, Fla. He graduated from the IB program at Winter Park High School, where he played varsity lacrosse and soccer. McLatchey plays in a band -- and recently won First Place in Central Florida’s Battle of the Bands. He will major in international affairs with a concentration in Chinese language and culture.

Convocation also will include a pinning ceremony led by Vice President for Student Affairs Mary B. Coburn, during which students recite the Seminole Creed and put on a special pin that was created for the event. The torch ceremony that follows, led by Dean of Undergraduate Studies Karen L. Laughlin, will emphasize the intellectual traditions of the institution and include a recitation of the Academic Honor Policy Pledge.

Between the Alma Mater (to be sung by first-year music major David Ko of Clearwater, Fla.) and the recessional, Abele will outline his high expectations of the Class of 2013 as both scholars and leaders.

Coburn noted that the revival of New Student Convocation in recent years grew out of ideas from students that reflected their renewed interest in Florida State University traditions. This year, their input has led to a new booklet, “The Florida State University: A History of Traditions,” that students attending Convocation will receive compliments of the Student Government Association, the Student Alumni Association and the Alumni Association.

New Student Convocation 2009 takes place on Day 5 of Seminole Sensation Week, the annual prelude to the fall semester that helps students connect with friends and sample some of the extracurricular activities that energize campus life. Most Seminole Sensation Week activities -- which run daily from Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 23, then jump to Monday, Aug. 31, for the “Seminole Uprising” in Tully Gymnasium -- are free with a valid FSU ID.

“Seminole Sensation Week just gets better every year,” Coburn said.

Visit the Seminole Sensation Week Web site for a complete schedule of 2009 activities.

Students or guests with disabilities who need special assistance during New Student Convocation (such as an interpreter or hearing devices), or who have other questions regarding the event, should contact the Office of New Student and Family Programs by phone at (850) 644-2785