HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — With less than a week before the first day of classes, Marshall University held a convocation ceremony on Tuesday to welcome new students to the institution.
The event, which was part of the university’s Week of Welcome, took place online due to inclement weather.
Brandi Jacobs-Jones, the institution’s senior vice president for operations, encouraged the Class of 2025 to remain driven during their academic endeavors. She referenced “The Fellowship of the Unashamed,” a poem in which an anonymous author discusses the importance of their religious faith and determination.
“The author describes the passions that one must have when pursuing your life’s work. The author cautions that we must meander in the maze of mediocrity because you can get lost in that,” she said.
“That’s not what you’re going to do. You’re not going to meander in the maze of mediocrity because you’re going to have a plan.”
President Jerome Gilbert also extended a welcome to the new students.
“Please stop me on campus sometime when you see me and we’ll take a selfie,” he said. “You are why we are here, and you are very important to us.”
Marshall University will begin classes on Aug. 23. Students and staff will be required to wear a facial covering and submit their vaccination status to an online registry. Unvaccinated people will be tested throughout the fall semester, in which officials have said they want people tested once a week.