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VCU Communications and Public Relations

More than a thousand Virginia Commonwealth University freshmen gathered in Monroe Park on Tuesday for a pep rally and the first Ram Spirit Walk into Convocation to kick off the 2008-2009 academic year.

VCU President Eugene P. Trani welcomed the Class of 2012 and highlighted some of the records the entering class had set simply by arriving on campus.

“Over 3,700 of you are joining our university this fall and you are our brightest class,” he said. “You have the highest average SAT score and the highest average high school GPA for any freshman class we’ve ever admitted to VCU.”

Trani noted that 89 percent of the class is from Virginia, with more freshmen from Fairfax County than from any other county in Virginia. Four hundred freshmen are from outside Virginia, and 97 are from 28 other countries, including India, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and Ghana.

He urged the entering students to engage.

“You are entering the four most exciting years of your life at a first-class university, in a world-class setting,” he said. “Take advantage of every opportunity.”

Also speaking at convocation was Kenji Yoshino, author of “Covering: The Hidden Assault on our Civil Rights,” the Summer Reading Program book that all entering freshmen were required to read.

VCU's Summer Reading program has created the largest group of people to engage with his book since it was published two years ago, Yoshino said, adding that meeting with students formally and informally while at VCU has led to some of the most meaningful and profound discussions about the book since it was published.

"Many of you had a much more intuitive and deeper understanding of the concepts I was talking about than I ever could have had at your age," he said.

Jibran Muhammad, president of the Monroe Park Campus Student Government Association, told the students now is the time to act on their dreams.

“This is your moment. This is your life. This is your future,” he said. “Dream wild. Dream big."

Convocation is the formal welcome to the VCU academic community and the official beginning of the school year for all new students.

The pep rally, emceed by 2003 VCU graduate Aaron Gilchrist, co-anchor of NBC 12 Today, featured the VCU cheerleading squad and the Clover Hill High School Marching Band. Gilchrist taught the new students the VCU fight song and the band led the crowd through Monroe Park and to the theater.

The rally was part of a weeklong series of “Welcome Week” activities that helps students get acclimated to the college environment prior to the start of classes.

"I've met countless people through these activities,” said Robbie Aldred of Richmond. “I'm enjoying meeting new people and learning about the campus."  

Dashelle Grant of Manchester, Conn., agreed.

"I didn't know anyone when I got here, but I've been busy,” she said. “There have been a lot of activities to get to know people. I've met people at my dorm and through orientation activities and I've already made a lot of friends. This is a great way to welcome us to VCU."