UCO Welcomes Incoming Students at Freshman Convocation

The University of Central Oklahoma held its annual Freshman Convocation on Friday, Aug. 17, at 3 p.m. in the Hamilton Field House, welcoming incoming students to come together with their classmates, faculty and university leaders as they embark on their college journey.

Trey Cole, Athletic Representative, said, “Freshman Convocation is a traditional ceremony that welcomes students to campus and marks the beginning of their academic journey. It serves as the first of two “bookend'”‘ celebrations, with Commencement marking the culmination of their college experience.”

At 2:45 p.m. students met and walked together from UCO’s Old North clock tower to the Hamilton Field House.

Following the ceremony, students gathered at the Nigh University Center Ballroom for free food and live music. There were opportunities to connect with current students and to learn about campus involvement through UCO’s Greek life and Student Organizations.

Cole said, “President Lamb and Provost Simmons reimagined the event beginning last year. What was once a small, much less formal gathering has grown into a campus-wide event welcoming more than 750 freshmen, along with faculty, staff, parents, and upper-class students from across campus.”

During this time, The Vista spoke with incoming students about what they enjoyed about the event and what they hope to get involved in during their first year at UCO. For many freshmen, the event served as an introduction into the UCO community and the beginning of their college life

– Sebastian Florez, Accounting major:

“My first thought of this event is that I love it. The energy is amazing; everyone is so sweet and awesome and willing to help.”

– Teyona Smith, Forensic Science and Psychology major, said the reason she came to Freshman Convocation was for the food.

– Hailey Bridgeford, Undecided major:

“To me, being a UCO Broncho means being in a community that is very uplifting and for each other. It’s a very happy tight net community,” Bridgeford said.

Freshman Convocation served as an early introduction for incoming UCO students, while the rest of Stampede Week provides additional opportunities for freshmen to meet people and become familiar with campus. UCO describes Stampede Week as a time for students to get connected on campus, meet new people and discover opportunities to become involved in the Broncho community. The week includes events focused on student involvement, fraternity and sorority life, employment, entertainment and other ways for students to connect. 

Several freshmen said they are already looking forward to becoming involved on campus during Stampede Week.

– Eden Miranda, Pediatric Dental Hygiene major, said she is most excited about Greek life recruitment.

– Abdullah Birini and Adam Abdel, both Biomedical Science majors, said they are looking forward to getting involved in UCO clubs such as the Arab Student Association (ASA) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA).

– Omar Salameh, Premedical Biomedical Science major, said he wants to get involved in UCO fraternity life and social media management.

While some students are focused on campus organizations and social opportunities, others are concentrating on their academic goals.

– Kaitlyn Knightly, Psychology Major:

“I’m hoping to not change my major at any point throughout my freshman year and get a lot of my hard classes out of the way.”

For the freshmen interviewed after Friday’s convocation, the beginning of the semester brought different goals, interests and expectations, but each student was starting the year with an opportunity to find their place within the UCO community.

To learn more about Stampede Week at the University of Central Oklahoma, visit uco.edu//stampede-week. To stay up-to-date with all things broncho, visit ucore.uco.edu/events.