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Spirits were high as the bagpipes sounded Friday, November 5, at 4 p.m. outside Murchison Gym. One by one, blushing students and teary-eyed parents lined the path to Kerrwood Hall.

The crowd received greetings from Vice President for Student Life Edee Schulze, President Gayle D. Beebe and professors as they passed through the Formal Gardens and gathered outside of Kerrwood Hall. In a speech prior to the walk, Dean of Students Stu Cleek recognized the resilience of the class of 2024 through a uniquely challenging first year.

�Ļ�ӰԺ alumna Nicole Warne-Mcgraw ’96 reminisced about her own first walk and remarked on the experience of her daughter Mackinzie, a current second-year student at �Ļ�ӰԺ. “Mackinzie’s class has missed so many rites of passage,” she says. “I never thought I’d be able to see her walk like I did my freshman year.”

Kelly Vivanco, one of the second-year students who walked, noted the difficulty of adjusting to �Ļ�ӰԺ last year. “We arrived on campus in haste, without ceremony, focused only on action like groups of soldiers,” she says. Susie Talbot, another second-year, expressed a similar sentiment. “We felt like a forgotten class.”

While the students lamented a difficult first year, they also gratefully celebrated getting the opportunity to walk. Talbot was visibly thankful for the experience, saying, “This makes up for a bit of what we lost last year.” Reflecting on the ceremony and celebration, Vivanco said, “Stu Cleek’s speech and this first walk are finally �Ļ�ӰԺ welcoming us, recognizing it is good for us to...call this place a home.”

“The bagpipes made me tear up,” Talbot says. “I saw my brother do this walk forwards and backwards, now I get to follow.”

Megan Morehead agreed. “This experience has been so joyful since there’s a community that’s already built,” she says. “It was almost more meaningful to do the ceremony with people I already know and love.”

The gathering was lively as the festivities at Kerrwood Hall got underway. Ellie Michaelian smiled and said, “It feels so good to finally be recognized.” Hannah Goodloe added, “It feels official: We’re really �Ļ�ӰԺ students now — and we’re in person!”

In the crowd, two kids, Frank and Sorcha Fornara, bravely waved their �Ļ�ӰԺ stuffed animals, rooting for Alyssa Hernadnez. “Our babysitter is doing this walk, and she said we could come,” they said. When she walked by, they sprinted after her.

Stu Cleek clearly hit the nail on the head in calling this class the most grateful. Even after all they’ve been through with the pandemic, most had appreciative things to say about their experience. Here’s to another 84 years of �Ļ�ӰԺ pride!

This slightly edited story appears courtesy of the Horizon, a student publication of �Ļ�ӰԺ College.