The skies were changeable but the mood was resoundingly upbeat on Sunday, May 31, as 480 members of the Class of 2026 celebrated their 乐播传媒 graduation surrounded by family and friends, and bolstered by speeches that dwelled on bright promises, both those already delivered and those to come.

From the bestselling author of the All Souls series, Deborah Harkness, speaking to the alchemy of a liberal arts education to a beloved classmate who talked of encountering a true institutional belief in diversity, the steps of Coram Library rang out with words of awe and appreciation for the Class of 2026. The new graduates were surrounded by family, friends, faculty, staff, well wishers from the community, and what were an unusual number of dogs. (Even the celebrity going almost incognito in the audience took note of at least one of them.)

President Garry W. Jenkins opened the ceremony with a review of some of the remarkable accomplishments of the group, which represented 41 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and 30 countries. He described athletic triumphs, including those who have been named All Americans. 鈥淎nd a small handful of you were even crowned NCAA National Champions,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd just this weekend, national runner-up.鈥� (Women鈥檚 rowing.) 

鈥淎n astounding number of you have been recognized with prestigious national honors,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭wo of you are Goldwater Scholars. One of you is a Truman Scholar. One of you is a Watson fellow and a whopping 15 of you are Fulbright Scholars.鈥� One of the biggest cheers of the morning was for the 59 members of the class who were the first in their families to graduate from college.

This group of 480 individuals was bound together by some special shared qualities, Jenkins said. 鈥淔or me, the headline qualities are heart and humanity. You possess within you uncommon, unlimited, unparalleled, heart and humanity.鈥�

鈥淐lass of 2026, you all make my heart sing because whatever you do, I know you will do it with heart and humanity. And in so doing, you will elevate both the realities and aspirations of those around you, making this world a better place. You have all you need to succeed in whatever you choose. And whatever you choose, wherever life takes you, your college will always be here for you.鈥�

Delivering the senior speech, Sebenele Lukhele 鈥�26 of Manzini, Eswatini, spoke of what drew him to 乐播传媒, a place he enrolled in without visiting first. Back in high school, he was looking for an institution that offered more than just an academic education聽鈥斅爋ne that would challenge 鈥渘ot only how we think, but also the very core of who we are.鈥� He came upon 乐播传媒鈥� mission statement and the message immediately resonated.

鈥淭his specific line stood out for me: 鈥榃ith ardor and devotion, we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action,鈥欌�� Lukhele said. 鈥淎s an international student and a person of color preparing to move thousands of miles away from home, those words felt more than just empty rhetoric. They felt like a promise. A promise that I would find not only an education here at 乐播传媒, but also a community, a sense of belonging, a place to feel at home.鈥�

Arriving on campus in 2022, Lukhele watched that promise come to life. He moved in alone but soon found company in his peers, many of whom, like Lukhele, had chosen 乐播传媒 because of its promise of community.

And this community was not homogenous; it was full of people who were different from each other, whether in nationality, identity, or other background. Such differences, Lukhele explained, are, elsewhere, sometimes approached with apprehension. But at 乐播传媒, true to the college鈥檚 mission statement, Lukhele watched differences be embraced, as students with various backgrounds strived to understand and connect with each other.

鈥淏eing surrounded by these differences does not automatically create a community,鈥� Lukhele said. 鈥淒iversity is easy to celebrate. It is something we highlight and take pride in as individuals, but coexistence, the act of meaningfully living alongside difference, see, that is much harder. It requires effort, passion, and a willingness to be uncomfortable.鈥�

The gift that 乐播传媒 has given the Class of 2026, Lukhele said, is the knowledge of how to foster this coexistence. Knowing how to communicate across differences and transform 鈥渇ear into curiosity and eventually action,鈥� Lukhele said, is particularly important as graduates prepare to live in today鈥檚 world.

鈥淭he world we’re entering is not simple,鈥� Lukhele said. 鈥泪t is increasingly diverse but also deeply divided. Too often difference is treated as something that separates us rather than something that can bring us together. What 乐播传媒 has given us is the ability to choose differently, to stay in conversations that are uncomfortable, to listen when it should be easier not to, and to see others not as strangers, but as part of a shared human experience.鈥�

乐播传媒 awarded three honorary degrees Sunday. H. Scott Bierman 鈥�77, a leading economist in the study of game theory, president emeritus of Beloit College, and a former member of the 乐播传媒 Board of Trustees, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Seema Hingorani, an investment executive at Morgan Stanley and founder of the nonprofit Girls Who Invest, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. (Due to a family emergency, a planned honorand, Ru Gunawardane 鈥�95, a biologist who has led groundbreaking research efforts in cell biology and drug therapies, will receive her Doctor of Science degree at a later date.) 

Sunday鈥檚 third honorary degree was conferred upon Deborah Harkness, who received a Doctor of Letters degree. For more than 30 years, Harkness taught the history of science, medicine, and magic, and recently retired as professor emerita of history at the University of Southern California. During that time, she published five novels in her All Souls series, including her debut novel, The New York Times best-selling A Discovery of Witches, which was also adapted into an enormously popular television series by the same name. 

She holds a master鈥檚 degree from Northwestern University and a P.h.D. from the University of California, Davis. During her doctoral studies, she researched the history of magic and science in Europe, particularly in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, not unlike her All Souls protagonist, Diana Bishop, a brilliant student of alchemy and history.

In making Bishop a graduate of 乐播传媒, Harkness has said that she was partly exploring a 鈥渞oad not traveled.鈥� While Harkness graduated from Mount Holyoke College, she had applied to 乐播传媒. 

She began her Commencement address with a reference to that long ago (and successful) application. 鈥泪t was 44 years ago that I came to 乐播传媒 as a prospective student,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I am so grateful that today, I finally am a 乐播传媒ie after all those years.鈥�

The role of any Commencement speaker is traditionally to send graduates off with some 鈥渞ousing words about their glowing future,鈥� Harkness said. But she faced a task complicated by the fact that 鈥渨e are amidst what pundits, headlines, and influencers assure us are unprecedented times of chaos and uncertainty.鈥�

The tricky thing about inviting a historian to give a Commencement address during 鈥渦nprecedented times,鈥� she said, is that they鈥檒l offer counterarguments dating back centuries. 

鈥淎 historian will regale you with countless examples dragged out of the past that prove there is nothing unprecedented under the sun,鈥� Harkness said.

Her own example from the past centered around the year 1671, when two things were happening simultaneously in the world. In Virginia, the governor, Sir William Berkeley, railed against a new invention, the printing press, and increased access to education. He resisted the uncertainty of changing times. 鈥淢odern neuroscientists can explain why the governor of Virginia was so anxious back in 1671,鈥� Harkness said. 鈥泪t turns out the human mind is simply not wired for ambiguity.鈥�

Watch the 160th 乐播传媒 College Commencement. Speaker Deborah Harkness’ address begins at the 56-minute mark.

But that same year, in England, a young man in his 20s named Isaac Newton was installed as a member of the Royal Society, a new London club established to investigate the mysteries of nature.

Newton, father of modern science, 鈥渨as also a liberal arts student and an alchemist,鈥� she said. And instead of resisting uncertainty, Newton took an approach that the Class of 2026 knows well, she said: 鈥渞elentless curiosity.鈥�  Newton persisted with his alchemical questions, and they permeated every aspect of his thought, including his laws of motion and gravity.

She imagined Newton giving the Class of 2026 advice: 鈥淔irst, you must start the great work with what is, not what once was or what might one day be. Every alchemist from Nicolas Flamel to Isaac Newton began thinking they weren’t worthy and they weren’t ready to face the uncertainty for them. You too must have faith that all you require in your ambitious great work is lying within you waiting to be activated.鈥�

Expect that the great work of your life will be messy, she said, channeling Newton鈥檚 approach to experimenting. Question everything as you undertake it. Lean into your 乐播传媒 education. 鈥淭he liberal arts, you see, have their own special kind of alchemy,鈥� she said. And most important, 鈥淵ou must keep going.鈥� 

That spirit of keeping going played out as the ceremony moved into the tradition of graduates walking across the Coram stage, moving through the alphabet from A to Z. As the students with last names beginning with Cs began their walks, rain began to fall. 

Fortunately, the crowd had come prepared, with layers. One woman put the puffer coat she鈥檇 brought back on. Umbrellas went up. The music star Gracie Abrams, who had come to see her cousin Abby Waisler 鈥�26 of Venice Beach, Calif., graduate, relied on a Red Sox ball cap and a thick fleece to keep her warm and dry. 

It was one of the many dogs attending Commencement that had alerted some fans to her presence. Abrams had posted a photo on her Instagram story of an extremely jowly 鈥� and cute 鈥� white and gray bulldog, along with the Commencement program. 

Predictions were for it to drizzle for the coming hour. Maybe even the dogs would have been bothered by that. Instead it stopped after 10 minutes, just the right kind of uncertainty.

In Wasilla, Alaska, this summer, incoming 乐播传媒 student Karsten Stiner 鈥�26 looked through the offerings for First-Year Seminars, and landed on one offered by Professor Emerita of History Margaret Creighton. 

Called 鈥泪nventing New England: The World of the Wyeth Family,鈥� it promised a rich look at both the place he was moving to and three generations of American artists named Wyeth: N.C., his son Andrew, and Andrew鈥檚 son Jamie. Stiner had never heard of them, and he mostly associated the words 鈥淣ew England鈥� with a football team, the Patriots. 鈥泪鈥檇 heard the term like four times in my life,鈥� he says, smiling. 鈥泪 didn鈥檛 even know what states were included in New England.鈥�

As he signed up, he did note that it was interesting that a Wyeth family member, Victoria Browning Wyeth 鈥�01, who is the only grandchild of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth, would lecture in the course, helping to answer sweeping questions like: What is New England? Who and what gets included in popular images of the region? How does New England differ from other imagined areas, particularly the American West?

But he didn鈥檛 realize what having a Wyeth as a teacher would actually mean, or how deep of an insider鈥檚 look that she would provide into Wyeth World, especially during the group鈥檚 ultimate Midcoast road trip on an October day. 

鈥泪 didn鈥檛 know that this would all be involved,鈥� Stiner said as he walked through fields browning in the Maine autumn under gray skies, the tidal reaches of the Saint George River a few hundred yards away. He鈥檇 just come from a tour of a Wyeth family home in Cushing, with a window seat looking out over the very New England countryside.

The group wrapped up the day at the famed Olson House in Cushing, the setting from many of Andrew Wyeth鈥檚 works, a tour of his very last studio, and a visit to the grave of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth, where Victoria would leave a couple of pumpkins, in honor of the Wyeth family love of Halloween (and kiss her grandparents鈥� tombstone, as she does on every visit). 

There鈥檇 even been a guest star: one of Andrew Wyeth鈥檚 models from the 1970s, who talked to the students about what it was like to pose for the painter of such works as the iconic 1948 work Christina鈥檚 World, which hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Walking ahead of Stiner on the dirt road were his classmates and both his teachers, who two decades ago were teacher and pupil. Creighton was Wyeth鈥檚 thesis advisor when she was at 乐播传媒, and also her professor in a course that offered deep community engagement in Lewiston. Wyeth, who majored in American Cultural Studies, says today that Creighton was a vital part of her development as a 乐播传媒 student, nurturing and mentoring her. 

She and Wyeth began talking about co-teaching this First-Year Seminar last year. As 乐播传媒 continues to improve and revamp its overall First-Year Experience program, both traditional and brand-new seminar offerings such as “Inventing New England” continue to play a key role in introducing students to 乐播传媒 academics 鈥� close contact with professors, intensive writing and building both a real sense of community and of place.

In the case of 鈥泪nventing New England,鈥� a sense of place is particularly pertinent. The syllabus is filled with New England specific work, like Carolyn Chute鈥檚 1985 novel The Beans of Egypt, Maine, but also some classic Westerns, such as John Ford鈥檚 Stagecoach, to provide perspective on how the American West is represented on screen or canvas.

鈥淭hat was a good way to start talking about region and regional identity and how the West got imagined in dominant American culture,鈥� Creighton says. 鈥淎nd one of the advantages here is that N.C. Wyeth did a lot of Western paintings as well.鈥� 

The field trip to the coast had started with an up-close and personal visit to the art itself at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, where artworks from all three generations of painters are well represented in the Wyeth Center. There, Victoria Wyeth, who knows the paintings the way others know a family photo album, led the students through multiple galleries.

She鈥檚 a generous and ebullient lecturer, gesturing for emphasis, always inviting student input and sharing strong opinions about everything, from the media Andrew Wyeth used 鈥� on watercolors she says, 鈥渢hey control him, he doesn鈥檛 control them鈥� 鈥� to results. While talking the students through the composition of one study for a later work, she confides 鈥泪 actually like this better than the final version.鈥� She also connects with her own 乐播传媒 experience, readily offering up a tale of getting a B-minus in an art history class in the middle of the whirlwind of her highly personalized, expert crash course in the Wyeths. 

In one gallery, currently showing Islands in Maine, an Andrew Wyeth show of works from Muscongus and Penobscot bays spanning the period from 1939 to 2008, when Wyeth and his wife Betsy spent his last summer on Benner Island, Victoria Wyeth stopped in front of a 1999 study for Dock.

It shows a woman walking down a dock. The image of a woman walking away, straight-backed and somehow resolute, even from behind, conjures up a hundred possible stories for the imagination, but Wyeth knows the real one. 鈥泪 always told you, he paints his life,鈥� she told the class. The woman is Ann Call, she explained, a frequent model, easy to recognize by her perfect haircut. Call worked with Wyeth鈥檚 grandmother Betsy on Benner Island, but lived on nearby Allen. 鈥淪o this is her getting ready to go on the boat for the end of the day,鈥� Wyeth said.

Wyeth lectures worldwide on the artists in her family. In 2011, she shared some of her never-before-displayed collection of family works in an exhibition at the 乐播传媒 Museum of Art. As a student, she organized a 2001 show at the museum focused on her grandfather鈥檚 process from a series of studies to the final painting, Her Room, which was the very first Wyeth painting acquired by the Farnsworth in 1964. (She鈥檚 also a talented photographer, who has occasionally exhibited her work, including portraits of her grandfather.)

As the group moved around the galleries, Wyeth leaned into paintings and invited the students to do the same, to see all the little things that don鈥檛 show up in digital slides quite the way they do in person, like the little birds, and the dry brushwork that sketches out a lichen-covered roof, or 鈥渏ust the feeling of this storm coming in.鈥� She knows the technical details of the works, like the way her grandfather came to use and cherish tempera as a medium, but also the emotional landscapes behind them.

She drew the students in to look at the last painting Andrew Wyeth completed before his death in 2009. It鈥檚 a view of a white building on the shore of Allen Island and its ghostly reflection in the water, and is called simply Goodbye. Wyeth reminded the students that her grandmother typically named her husband鈥檚 paintings and then asked if they could tell which white parts of the painting were tempera and which were simply the white panel, left bare by the artist. Leah Belber of Washington, D.C., got right in, and she and Wyeth debated the topic before deciding neither one of them can tell for sure. But it was easy to agree that the painting is beautiful, a haunting farewell to a well-loved place.

Belber was one of several students already well-acquainted with the concept of New England, and even the Wyeths themselves. She signed up for the course because 鈥泪 love museums and I love looking at art.鈥� She鈥檚 been relishing the interplay between Creighton and Wyeth. 鈥泪t鈥檚 definitely quite a class. They have a fun dynamic.鈥�

Josh Smith of Farmington, Maine, felt a pull to the class because in his family home, a print of Jamie Wyeth鈥檚 Fog Bound Coast has long hung on the wall.

Riley Baker of Northfield,Ill., says she signed up because 鈥泪 just wanted something different,鈥� but as with Smith, a specific piece of art sparked her connection. She attended St. Andrews in Delaware, where a giant mural by N.C. Wyeth covers the wall of a dining room. And that mural is featured in Dead Poets Society, a 1989 film shot at St. Andrews. Baker has watched it over and over again. 

When Liam Shlager of Ross, Calif., signed up for the course, he, like Stiner, was a newcomer to the Wyeth mythology but was intrigued. 鈥淭hen I walk in the first day and Miss Wyeth is there and I was like, 鈥極h wow, this is going to be big.鈥欌��

And it has been, from the lively classroom discussions about art to the history lessons and insider stories about growing up in the Wyeth family, where artistic talent tends to make itself evident by age 6, according to Victoria. 

Getting to spend a day touring various Wyeth-related properties, and hearing from one of Wyeth鈥檚 iconic models in person, standing in the exact spot in the farmhouse where Wyeth painted her as a teenager 50 years ago, only elevated the experience. 鈥淟ike 100 percent,鈥� Shlager says.

The model, who asked not to be named, shared a detail about posing for Andrew Wyeth, about how he asked her to wet her hair every time she arrived to pose, and that detail caused Victoria to gasp. 鈥淵ou never told me this,鈥� she said. 鈥泪 am blown away.鈥�

鈥淭his is so cool,鈥� Victoria went on. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how you guys are going to remember this. I mean, I know it鈥檚 sinking in now, but I鈥檓 telling you, in 20 years? You鈥檙e going to remember this.鈥�

For Wyeth herself, the excursion was equally joyful. 鈥泪 was so thrilled to get to know my students on such a different level,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e all had a blast on the bus ride to Cushing. I learned about their taste in music and some fun family stories. I can鈥檛 quite put into words how much closer it made us as a class. We went from being a class to feeling like a family.鈥�

There are tax-free days, where you can shop in your state without paying sales tax. At 乐播传媒, the closest thing is Opening Day 鈥� move-in time for the new students 鈥� when you can prop open any campus door without getting hit with a fine, as is the case during the school year.

The acceptable, no-penalty rationale for keeping doors open is to create easy passage for all the stuff that first-year students bring to campus.

Since 乐播传媒 doors aren鈥檛 made to be propped, students have to be inventive on Propped Door Day 鈥� err, Opening Day. Here鈥檚 what we saw on Aug. 31, 2022 as we welcomed the Class of 2026:

First Chair

This doorstop gets points for multiple uses. Props a door and rest spot for a tired parent. But see how it lists to the side, as if it knows it鈥檚 not supposed to be there and is trying to flee the scene.

Getting hitched

No one at Page could say who decided to use this length of knitwear to prop open the door. But given that the knot appears to be a half-hitch, we鈥檙e hazarding a guess it鈥檚 either a Scout (boy or girl) or a sailor.

Stone alone

River stones are not a naturally occurring rock at Page Hall, where we saw this example, decorated with a face and the words, 鈥泪 love me.鈥�

Self-affirmations are important, especially during times of stress. That door weighs a lot.

Bucket brigade

Can鈥檛 say we liked seeing this portentous doorstop: It鈥檚 a pail of the stuff we鈥檒l be needing soon, salt to melt winter ice.

From Maine Salt Co., the blend is called 鈥淧aws Applause,鈥� unrelated to the 乐播传媒 Bobcat but a reference to its pet- and eco-friendly blend of crushed limestone and magnesium chloride.

Mystery stop

The doors of Adam Hall were flung open for arriving families, including this parent taking the steps two at a time. There鈥檚 no temporary doorstop here but a traditional industrial door closer, . (This campus is not haunted, promise.)

Stage right

Propping open an interior door at the 280 College Street residence, this slab of iron was both highly effective and a researcher鈥檚 delight. About a foot long and hefty, around 25 pounds, it has notches at either end.

So we asked the project managers at Facility Services. They’ve prowled every corner of the 乐播传媒 campus in their work overseeing the construction of new buildings and the endless renovations and restorations of older buildings. We expect them to know it all, and they usually do.

“It’s an iron weight from the old theater rigging system in Schaeffer Theatre,” explained Paul Farnsworth. “They were counterweights that could be added and removed as needed to balance the weight of a scenery set hanging above the stage.”

Schaeffer’s rigging system, also known as a fly system, was replaced in 2007. “But even before that, the extra weights were used by theater for all kinds of things,” says Farnsworth. Since 2007, the weights “traveled on their own across campus.”

Adoorable

The best kind of door stop: a 乐播传媒 student, David Nimura ’25 of New York City. In the at Kalperis Hall, home of the College Store, where he is a Junior Advisor.

Way back in 1940, the newest 乐播传媒 students, the Class of 1944, got this advice from the editors of The 乐播传媒 Student: 鈥淣ever let studies interfere with a college education.鈥�

However sly, the tip speaks to the challenges facing new college students. Namely, how to balance all the new opportunities college affords. How to manage time. How to determine priorities. How to find connections.

Fortunately, 乐播传媒 students are always more than willing to help onboard the newest members of the community. Here, gathered by 乐播传媒 Communications Office student liaison Aaliyah Moore ’24 of Phoenix, Ariz., are 26 tips for the Class of 2026.

(And tips for parents? Try to be a “guide on the side,” say these experienced 乐播传媒 parents in our story from 2018.)

26. Focus on the moment, not the future

Whether it鈥檚 starting a conversation with someone you don鈥檛 know (but could become friends with) or saying 鈥測es鈥� to an opportunity to experience something new, you can鈥檛 read the future, so make your present your focus! As students like to say, 鈥淪ay 鈥榟i鈥� even if you don’t know them.鈥� 

Saying 鈥測es鈥� allows you to find your own path. Professor of Economics Daniel Riera-Crichton, who delivered the Convocation address, quoted his favorite poet from his homeland of Spain, Antonio Machado: 鈥淐aminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada m谩s; Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.鈥� 

Translated to English: 鈥淭raveler, your footprints are the only road, nothing else; Traveler, there is no road, you make your own path as you walk.鈥�

25. Read the syllabus

The course syllabus is your guide, and it holds the answers to most questions you might have about assignments, deadlines, grading, and even office hours. Whether it鈥檚 a physical copy or a 鈥渓iving鈥� online copy, you鈥檒l want to read the whole thing (twice even) and hold onto it.

24. Get to know your professors

They鈥檙e there to help! Make sure you attend office hours at least two to three times in a semester with each professor, especially before a big assignment or exam. Getting to know you and your academic process can also help your professor give more individualized feedback. 

Even talking with them about non-academic things can help you feel connected, and can open the door to additional opportunities. They will 100 percent understand if you鈥檙e shy.

23. Work with your roommate to share the space

Even if you don鈥檛 become besties, cultivating a good relationship with your roommate will make residence life a lot easier. You can get a roommate contract template at the beginning of the year from your Junior Advisor or Residence Coordinator and this provides an opportunity to set down some ground rules and boundaries. Most important, keep an open line of communication. Don鈥檛 let an issue build up until it鈥檚 all you can see; talk with them about it.

22. Ask for help

Feeling confused? Overwhelmed? Don鈥檛 know exactly what you鈥檙e looking for? Just ask. But who to ask? Which brings us to:

21. Get to know your JA and RC

Your Junior Advisor and Residence Coordinator are not only there to help but have gotten lots of formal training from the college. The best way you can access that help is to talk with them, and get to know them 鈥� and let them get to know you. 

This also goes for the other students in your residence hall, your classes, and the staff and faculty all over campus. 乐播传媒 is chock-full of fascinating people with amazing stories, and you never know if the person right around the corner could be the exact person you need to run into.

20. Get cold-weather gear 

Maine winters can get pretty cold and windy, with overnight temperatures dropping well below freezing for most of December to March. While layering up is ideal for going in and out of the cold, four important pieces to have in your wardrobe are: An insulated winter jacket; a hat (or a coat with a hood); a pair of warm, waterproof boots; and a pair of gloves or mittens, the warmer the better.

Pro tip: Mittens are warmer than gloves because your fingers can share warmth.

19. Always back up your files

Make a habit of saving your assignments both during and after you work on them, and keep backup copies of important ones. There are tons of options for storing files, like Google Drive (乐播传媒 students all get access to Google Drive accounts), flash drives, or cloud storage. When in doubt, use the 3-2-1 rule: three total copies of your data, with two local (like a backup hard drive), and one off-site (like cloud storage).

18. Watch your laundry

Shared laundry rooms have their own rules 鈥� written or not. It鈥檚 a good idea to set a timer for yourself to come get your laundry after starting a new cycle, since limited washers and dryers means leaving your laundry unattended can cause inconveniences for other students, and they might move it before you do.

17. Find ways to stay connected to family and friends back home

One of the most fun ways to feel the love from home is to receive care packages. They can contain anything from sweet treats and salty snacks, to fun stationery and extra socks. Your family can have fun choosing what to send, and it鈥檚 always exciting to open a surprise box, so it鈥檚 a win-win.

Texting home is good, but postcards are another great option, and Post & Print is right next to the College Store in Kalperis Hall, which makes finding and sending 乐播传媒- and Maine-themed goodies back home easy.

16. Get to know the Lewiston鈥揂uburn area

This tip is from Leigh Weisenburger, our vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid whose family is strongly connected to the area.

鈥泪 every day when I’m on campus to get coffee. It鈥檚 an important personal and professional break during the day. I take that half hour, and those eight blocks down to Forage and eight blocks back are a physical nod to our relationship with Lewiston.鈥�

Take a study break and walk downtown, either solo or with a few buddies. Try asking some of the faculty and staff where their favorite hidden spots are; you might discover a new favorite park, an eatery, or a spot to relax by the river. 

15. Start crafting your professional portfolio 

There鈥檚 often a scramble during senior year to make a resume, create a LinkedIn profile, and start networking, but you don鈥檛 have to wait until you have a deadline. Creating and updating a foundational resume can be easy, and 乐播传媒 even has resources to help you get started, through the Center for Purposeful Work.

14. Find ways to get engaged on and off campus

There are tons of people who share your interests, and nearly as many clubs, organizations, groups, ensembles, and teams as there are interests. The college鈥檚 乐播传媒 Engage platform lists them all. Pro tip: Search Instagram for the club name to see how active they are.

For off-campus opportunities, the Harward Center for Community Partnerships has plenty of options for getting engaged with Lewiston-Auburn. Can鈥檛 find a club for your interests? You can start one.

13. Find the best spots on campus to study, nap, or just hang out

The classic study spots are Ladd Library and, within the library, the Academic Resource Commons and the Math & Stats Workshop. But there鈥檚 a spot for anyone.

P鈥檊ill (Pettengill Hall) is a good spot to study or nap late at night, while Commons is a great place to see your friends. According to student intel, the Bonney Science Center is on the rise as a prime night study spot, but you can also ask returning students what their favorite places are to nap and study.

12. Take care of yourself

The first year of college can be exhausting, and setting some good habits and routines can help make it a little easier, and help you stay healthy. Making sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep at night, watching your caffeine intake, and mitigating screen use at night are all ways to take care of yourself and boost your immune system. 

There are also student clubs you can join that feature meditation, yoga, and self-care. And, of course, the college鈥檚 Counseling and Psychological Services offers a range of resources and support.

11. Get a pair of shower shoes

Whether you use a pair in the pool locker rooms or just in the residence hall bathrooms, shower shoes can save you from one of the nastiest things you can pick up from the floor: athlete鈥檚 foot. It鈥檚 treatable with over-the-counter medications, but the best treatment is prevention. 

10. Keep a journal

Whether it鈥檚 a fancy locked diary, a handsome leather-bound logbook, or a Google Doc, taking the time to write down your thoughts, ideas, questions, or just what happens during your day-to-day life can help clear your mind, and set aside some 鈥渕e-time.鈥� (Some say that writing by hand, instead of using a keyboard, offers a helpful respite from screen time.)

You鈥檒l be thankful for it later too, when you want to reminisce about that one trip you took with your friends, or that night you went to your first college dance.

9. Find a note-taking system that works for you

Everyone鈥檚 method is different, and if you don鈥檛 already have the perfect system for remembering all those formulas or terms, now is the time to experiment and figure out what works for you. Fortunately, the Academic Resource Commons has you covered, with a page of peer-collected study resources. They also offer help through their Learning Strategies tutors.

8. Learn to navigate Handshake

Handshake is 乐播传媒鈥� online tool for all things internships, jobs, and career exploration, run through the Center for Purposeful Work. The website has a how-to video for new students learning how to use Handshake, which is also where you find on-campus jobs. Which leads us to:

7. Apply for a job on campus

It’s more than the money. Finding work on campus can take your resume to the next level and connect you to even more people. The Student Employment Office and Handshake can connect you to openings.

6. Create goal lists or vision boards for the semester

It can be hard to see the forest for the trees when you鈥檙e in the middle of the semester, but creating a list of goals or aspirations, or even can help you stay on track when you鈥檙e feeling overwhelmed. 

Remember: If you put it on the list, you can always take it off again, but goals are there for you to reach for, so just add it to the list!

5. Go up Mount David 

We know: It鈥檚 a classic. In addition to being well-known for its stunning views of the Lewiston-Auburn area, especially when the leaves fall, Mount David is a wonderful location for stargazing at night, engaging in meaningful conversation with friends, and getting away from any campus stress. Going early or during a cool afternoon is the best option if you want to be by yourself because it can get crowded at night. Warning: it鈥檚 a short but steep trek, so wear sensible shoes.

4. Learn how to budget and shop smart

There are lots of options for getting your shopping done in the area, but here are some tips that are useful across the board: Make a shopping list. A list keeps your from buying all the things you never knew you needed (and actually don鈥檛). 

Also, get reusable shopping bags so you can fight littering and skip the bag charge (Maine charges 5 cents per bag) in one easy step. Buy in bulk when you can and split the cost and goods with a few shopping buddies 鈥� you鈥檒l save money and build community!

3. Find your off-campus treat-of-choice

Locating a mood-boosting treat can make a big difference during the stressful parts of the year, whether it鈥檚 an ice cream at Dairy Joy on Campus Avenue, a bubble tea from Boba on Lisbon Street, or a pastry from The Italian Bakery on Bartlett Street.

2. Bookmark the websites you visit often

Students have to use a variety of websites, online resources, and platforms, and keeping track of all the names and web addresses can be difficult. Adding them as bookmarks to your browser can streamline the process.

1. Lead with compassion

Finally, from Student Government co-presidents Ali Manning 鈥�23 of Sydney, Australia, and Kush Sharma 鈥�23 of Delhi, India, in their greetings to the Class of 2026 at Convocation:

鈥淵ou should always lead with compassion, forgiveness and care. And this holds true for yourself as well as all the people around you.鈥�

It’s been a whirlwind of firsts for the first-year Class of 2026, starting with Opening Day on Aug. 31 right on through to the first classes of the academic year a week later.

In between were AESOP trips, the first meetings of First-Year Seminars, and Convocation, marking the official opening of the academic year.

After a damp morning of moving in, the clouds broke and students and their families enjoyed a picnic lunch in the sun.

By mid-afternoon, campus puddles were gone, and everyone headed to the Historic Quad to hear welcomes from Leigh Weisenberger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, President Clayton Spencer.

“Whatever path has brought you here, I want to welcome you to 乐播传媒 with joy, and warmth, and arms wide open,” she said. “Students, I wish you all good things as you meet your classmates and your professors, and settle in. Families, safe travels home.”

After goodbyes and hugs, and some tears, the Class of 2026 got ready for the myriad experiences awaiting them.

Thursday and Friday were spent getting a taste of academics in First-Year Seminar gatherings. Then came with three days and two nights of AESOP adventures on and off campus, the first overnight trips since 2019.

All compass points were covered: north to Baxter State Park, west to the White Mountains, east to Acadia National Park, and south to Portland. Not to mention nearby trips, to Nezinscot Farm and Lewiston-Auburn itself, exploring the Androscoggin River and the Great Falls, Museum L-A, and the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.

Surfing, knitting, drawing and painting, and digging potatoes were just a few of the activities they enjoyed, reflecting a re-designed AESOP program, including affinity-based trips, to make AESOP more accessible and inclusive.

In 2021, the new 乐播传媒 year kicked off on a cautious note, as the Class of 2025 was obliged to walk to Convocation masked-up: COVID was still too close for comfort.

When Convocation rolled around a year later, on Tuesday, Sept. 6, that pandemic precaution was gone, replaced by meteorological protection: rain ponchos decorated with a big 乐播传媒 seal 鈥� and the show went on under sprinkling skies.

Convocation marks the official start of the academic year, and as the 520 members of the Class of 2026 took those steps into their 乐播传媒 future, they followed Alumni Walk onto the Historic Quad, passing Hathorn Hall before arriving at their seats in front of Coram Library, where President Spencer and other speakers welcomed them to 乐播传媒.

It鈥檚 a well-traveled path, which thousands of future 乐播传媒 grads have made their way down. So the newbies were in the right place at the right time. But paths can also confine us, said Professor of Economics Daniel Riera-Crichton, who delivered the Convocation address. Don鈥檛 always let predetermined paths determine your route through life. Try to create your own route through 乐播传媒.

Riera-Crichton quoted his favorite poet from his homeland of Spain, Antonio Machado: 鈥淐aminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada m谩s; Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.鈥� Translated to English: 鈥淭raveler, your footprints are the only road, nothing else; Traveler, there is no road, you make your own path as you walk.鈥�

In his talk, Riera-Crichton connected the goal of a 乐播传媒 education to the message of this early-20th century poetry, saying that 鈥淢achado, probably referring to life itself, told us that there is no predefined path ahead of us, but just the one we weave ourselves with our choices. This, I believe, also applies to the spirit of a liberal arts education.鈥�

In Spencer鈥檚 welcome, her final as 乐播传媒 president, she thanked 乐播传媒 staff, faculty, and friends for their efforts through the past two and a half years, saying they have 鈥渞epeatedly gone above and beyond to keep our students on track and moving forward in their education and their lives.鈥�

About a half-hour earlier, the Class of 2026 began lining up along Alumni Walk, sporting a mix of 乐播传媒-branded ponchos, raincoats, and umbrellas; some resourceful folks carried towels to dry their seats. The couple days of rain was slowly winding down; the excitement of a new 乐播传媒 year was winding up.

They began the day with breakfast in Commons with their Junior Advisors. Student Government leaders, including co-presidents Ali Manning 鈥�23 of Sydney, Australia, and Kush Sharma 鈥�23 of Delhi, India, went from table to table greeting the students.

With six days of Orientation in the rear-view mirror, the new students were clearly 鈥渆ager to start the academic part鈥� of their 乐播传媒 experiences, said Anna Brown, coordinator of residence life for First-Year Experience. 鈥淎nd to set that tone for the year.鈥�

And they were unfazed by Tuesday鈥檚 rain. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e had a great sense of humor about it,鈥� said Molly Newton 鈥�11, associate dean of students for residence life and health education. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e talking about saving the ponchos and wearing them again at graduation.鈥� 

As the first-years walked in front of Hathorn, members of the women鈥檚 soccer team half-serenaded, half-cheered the class 鈥� a vivid display of what Tommy Holmberg 鈥�13 once described, in a famous Commencement address, as 鈥�the beautiful cycle we鈥檝e got here鈥� 鈥� a welcoming spirit, willingness to deliver hard-won advice, and, as Spencer related, small but meaningful gestures, like simply holding the door open for someone coming after you.

鈥泪 noticed this practice when I first came to campus, and it blew me away,鈥� said Clayton. 鈥泪 think we would all agree that there aren鈥檛 many places you go these days where people hold the door for someone they don鈥檛 know. 

鈥淪o it is meaningful that it happens here, because the simple gesture of holding the door for someone is a gesture of openness and connection.鈥�

Complete video of Convocation on Sept. 6, 2022:

Achieving more than a gesture of openness and connection is difficult, she said, in a world where 鈥減olarization and intolerance are too often the norm.鈥� Even within the 乐播传媒 community, it is 鈥渆asy to notice difference without engaging it, and default to hanging with people who look like us and think like us.鈥�

Spencer鈥檚 advice? 鈥淵ou鈥檒l get a lot more out of the next four years…if you focus on being open and looking for connections where they may be less obvious.鈥� She suggested using 鈥渢wo powerful tools鈥� along the way: curiosity and grace.

鈥泪t is your day job as students to ask questions in search of truth and understanding, and receive with grace and further curiosity the answers, whatever form they take.鈥� 

In this sense, 鈥済race鈥� is about how one goes about having a conversation with someone whose beliefs are opposed to one鈥檚 own, such as different political beliefs.

If two people take the 鈥渢ime to open themselves up and dig below the surface…they may learn that, regardless of their specific political affiliations, they are both obsessed with politics, love to debate policy issues, and share a deep concern about the state of our democracy.

鈥泪n short, if they follow their natural curiosity to probe and learn, and give each other the grace to move beyond surface differences, they may well find common ground. These tools and habits are equally powerful when an issue comes up in class, or student government, on a team, or in a friend group.鈥�

Manning and Sharma, the Student Government presidents, also greeted the Class of 2026, and shared what they’ve found can make the first year of college a little better, a little easier, and a lot more fruitful.

鈥淵ou should always lead with compassion, forgiveness and care. And this holds true for yourself as well as all the people around you,鈥� said Sharma. 鈥淐all your mum, dad, or whoever has helped you get here today. Gratitude is not only grounding but also necessary for success at 乐播传媒. Be thankful to those who have helped you be the best you, even if you鈥檙e only thanking yourself.鈥�

Gratitude, the grace to accept the fact that mistakes will happen, and the courage to admit to those mistakes 鈥� these are some of the most important building blocks for creating that community of growth, the student leaders said.

And most important of those building blocks is the willingness to question your experience, said Manning. 

鈥淣ow is the time to question without much consequence. Never stop asking yourself uncomfortable questions that may dislodge your place in the world. That is when we learn and that is when we become 乐播传媒 College students.鈥�

Riera-Crichton, chosen by the Class of 2022 to deliver the convocation address as a parting gift to the incoming class, explained that he has deep experience watching economics majors’ careers 鈥渟tart, develop, grow and flourish.鈥�

He got a laugh by recounting a typical conversation with an aspiring first-year economics major. Often, the student breathlessly professes having loved econ since forever, and that they plan to study international finance and to write a thesis on 鈥渢he role of the dollar in the world economy.鈥�

To which Riera-Chrighton has only one response, 鈥淐ool!鈥�

Four years later, however, Riera-Crichton typically encounters a student who has evolved and grown, and is more likely to be presenting their 鈥渂rilliant thesis on impact evaluation of climate change in Caribbean communities, about water level rise, prevalence of natural disasters and the policies, infrastructure, and insurance needed to help the local communities affected.鈥�

The detour from the dollar happened because the student chose to take what turned out to be 鈥渇ascinating and impactful course in climate and environmental change that highlighted the potential devastating and unequal effects of climate change on small island communities.鈥� That experience allowed the student to 鈥渕arry her love for macroeconomics鈥� with a new interest in environmental studies, which led to an 鈥渁mazing thesis in a newly redefined passion.鈥�

鈥淪o, to recap, your path is not preset,鈥� he said. 鈥淭ake this opportunity to be adventurous, to explore, find your academic passions and then follow them. To me, that is the clearest path for academic success at an institution like 乐播传媒 College.

Convocation concluded with a multifaith benediction from the Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college鈥檚 multifaith chaplain. She expressed the community鈥檚 hope for the new class, that they would find kind and open hearts, a place to rest and find joy, and space to be and discover themselves, from their own dorm rooms, to their classrooms, to the tables of Commons.

鈥淥n these sidewalks soon canopied with the brilliance of autumn leaves, may you be reminded of all that is bigger than you, remember those that hold you close in this moment of transition, and slow down to pause and breathe.鈥�

Afterward, Longsdorf and Associate Multifaith Chaplain Raymond Clothier led the annual In Memoriam Tree Planting Service, a gathering that honors the memory of 乐播传媒 people who have died during the past year. 

Held in Gomes Chapel, the service included sweet musical interludes performed by guitarist Giancarlo Carlucci 鈥�24, a Multifaith Fellow from New York City.

Afterward, attendees walked outside and each poured cups of water from Lake Andrews onto the roots of a newly planted sapling, a maple. The ritual, said Clothier, honors the unending cycle of 鈥渄ying, embodying memory, and nurturing new life.鈥�

Opening Day for the 520 members of the Class of 2026 dawned cloudy and rainy and ended sunny and warm. Nuff said! Here’s how it went down, hour by hour.

8:10 a.m. Keep on truckin’

New 乐播传媒 parents Kirk Daulerio and Adrienne Shibles 鈥�91 emerge from their pickup truck outside Lane Hall. Their daughter is Elsa Daulerio 鈥�26 of Harpswell, Maine. One of the all-time great 乐播传媒 basketball players, Shibles is the head coach of the Dartmouth women’s team.

8:27 a.m. Say cheese!

Don’t forget to capture the moment! From left, Jill Einstein snaps a pic of her daughter, Amanda Yolles ’26 of Bel Tiburon, Calif., and her roommates, Zara Ahmed of Burlington, Mass., and Maia Schifman of Minneapolis shortly after arriving in Room 404, a triple in Page Hall.

8:35 a.m. Fist-bump

Out in the hall to assemble a storage unit, Peter Yolles P 鈥�26 fist bumps Jimmy Ndayikengurukiye 鈥�25 of Glendale, Ariz., who is helping out as a student member of the Residence Life team.

Nervousness, accomplishment, and a little relief echo with everyone. 鈥泪鈥檓 relieved, and also sort of excited, but like you want to throw up at the same time,鈥� says Kacie Lutz. She and her husband, Bob Lutz, are dropping off their daughter, Riley Lutz ’26. They flew from Florida to Boston, then took off for 乐播传媒 early in the morning for move-in.

9:03 a.m. Need a hand?

Marcos Pacheco Soto 鈥�24 of Santiago, Chile, and Starr Bradley 鈥�25 of Houston, carry first-year students’ belongings into Page Hall.

The most common question being asked is, “Where do I park?” says Abby Ryan 鈥�21, an assistant dean of admission. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e coming in spurts, but everyone鈥檚 happy to be here.鈥� Upon arrival, students and their parents are surprised by how many people are willing to help, and how smooth the process is.

Students helping out on Opening Day come from far and wide. Some are Junior Advisors and Residence Coordinators. Others pitch in as needed throughout orientation as Orientation Week Leaders. Also on hand are student leaders of the outdoor trips, known as AESOP, that will begin in a few days. Plus members of Bobcat sports teams.

As cars arrive, the helpers swing into action with two key questions: “What room number?” and “Do you need any help?”

Soon, big appliance boxes are hoisted over shoulders, giant IKEA bags full to bursting are lugged inside, and trash cans full of anything but trash somehow make their way from car to room without many major spills.

鈥泪t just got busy,” says Marianne Nolan Cowan 鈥�92, associate director of program design for the Center for Purposeful Work. She’s helping direct the cars on Alumni Walk and keep things in some semblance of order.

One parent watches as the luggage is taken inside by helpers, and comments, 鈥淢aybe I鈥檒l finish my breakfast then,鈥� and then stands indecisively halfway in and halfway out of his Subaru Outback, tinfoil-wrapped breakfast sandwich in one hand.

Energy is high, and the tapering off of the rain is letting them catch their breath, and giving some space for some of the other emotions besides excitement. 鈥淭here are a lot of smiles, and some tears,鈥� Ryan adds.

9:09 a.m. Group effort

Page Hall’s greeting team gathers outside for a mid-move portrait, after a rush of early students.

鈥淲e鈥檙e almost done, really early. We had an 8 a.m. rush, but now it鈥檚 calmed down,鈥� says Charlotte Gisborne 鈥�25 of Bishop’s Stortford, England.

鈥淲e were all fighting over who gets to carry the pillows and blankets, and who gets a lower floor,鈥� they laugh. 

Two standout moments: one family who packed entirely with IKEA bags, and the time a minifridge got stuck in the elevator.

9:17 a.m. Unlocking a new door

As cars are unloaded and rooms are filled, the new students are on their way back from Commons, where they have picked up their IDs, keys and other 乐播传媒 gear. Kelly McKaige 鈥�26 of Seattle, Wash., holds up his newly-obtained room key, a vital addition to his key ring (and 乐播传媒-emblazoned lanyard).

Other goodies they grab are: a laundry card, a reusable mug, and a campus map.

9:27 a.m. Sign of the times

Handmade signs are the M.O. for the day, made at a pre-arrival party by the students who returned to campus early to help the new feel welcomed as they move in.

Linnea Selendy 鈥�23 (left) of New York City and Eva Wu 鈥�25 of Shenzhen, China, greet arriving students and their families as they pull up in their vehicles on the Alumni Walk side of Commons.

At Adams Hall, Alaina Rauf 鈥�25 of Yarmouth, Maine, welcomes cars with a sparkly, sticker-laden sign. 鈥淲e all got together with the JAs and made signs earlier. I just finished this one. It was so fun! We had music, and Dunkin鈥�, and it was great.鈥�

Things are pretty calm at Adams Hall, “but it’ll only get busier from here,” Rauf laughs. There was a rush of arrivals, all fourth floor residents, so “we were carrying tons of mini fridges, and the elevators are being really slow today.鈥�

But at least the rain has stopped, since “weather affects the mood for sure,” she says.

10:03 a.m. Athletic ability

Moving in is a campus-wide effort, and everyone pitches in. After early-morning varsity practices conclude, even more Bobcats join the effort. “They’re making everyone feel welcome,鈥� says Nina Carter, a junior adviser at Adams Hall.

Having finished football practice (he’s an offensive lineman), Cole De Magistris 鈥�24, a double major in economics and rhetoric, film, and screen studies from Emerson, N.J., shoulders a suitcase into Kalperis Hall.

10:22 a.m. It takes a village

Rooms are a blank slate, and students are more than ready to make the spaces their own. Sreeni Kamal 鈥�26 of Tyngsboro, Mass., sets up her room in Chu Hall with the help of her sister Varsha Kamal, 11, and parents Kamal G. and Preetha Ponras.

Maddie Smith 鈥�26, from Freeport, Maine, came with her parents. 鈥泪鈥檓 excited to set up my room and decorate it. I was expecting it to rain and thunder all day, but it cleared up and I鈥檓 really thankful.鈥�

11:13 a.m. The presidential welcome

President Clayton Spencer takes a moment to pose with students outside Parker Hall during Move-In Day, as upbeat music pours from speakers.

Further down on Alumni Walk, the 乐播传媒 welcome is loud and clear as a streamer-laden golf cart rolls by, two students yelling 鈥淲elcome to 乐播传媒!鈥� along the way.

11:26 a.m. Hello, stranger

Two new roommates on either side of the room, with 乐播传媒 at the center. Mario Ferra 鈥�26 of Manchester, N.H., Ali Minhas 鈥�26 of Palo Alto, Calif., will share this space in Parker Hall for the year.

11:32 a.m. Rolling out the welcome mat

Trinity Poon 鈥�26 (whose feet are at left) of Sandwich, Mass., brought this welcome mat for the Parker Hall room she鈥檚 sharing with her roommate, Tamrin Ghai 鈥�26 (whose feet at at right) of New York City.

11:35 a.m. Make way for deans!

Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life and Health Education Molly Newton 鈥�11 rolls down Alumni Walk on a Razor scooter, her standard fair-weather mode of transportation around campus.

11:36 a.m. Heading to lunch

After moving in, a student takes a look at all that’s new as she walks with her family down Alumni Walk toward Commons and a barbecue lunch.

But for at least one student, moving in was nothing new.

Sanae Hagino 鈥�26 of Newtown Square, Pa., arrived at 乐播传媒 as a first-student last year, shortly after a severe ankle injury. Soon after arriving on campus, she decided to take a gap year. 鈥淭hat was a good idea,” she says. “I feel ready now.”

鈥淪o ready,鈥� echoes her mother, Grace Ashton, who is having the unique experience of dropping her child off for the first time, again. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so comfortable on campus already.鈥�

3:04 p.m. A spot of sunshine

Following lunch (and maybe a nap?), families gathered on the Historic Quad for a welcome from President Spencer and Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger.

3:31 p.m. Welcoming Words

The morning showers gave way to a brilliant late-summer afternoon as Spencer and Weisenburger welcome everyone.

鈥淎 乐播传媒 liberal arts education prizes the relationship between knowledge and values,鈥� said Spencer. 鈥淭he most important goal of a liberal arts education is not the accumulation of information and skills; rather it is meant to create the conditions under which you will become agents of your own destiny, possessing the knowledge, insights, and confidence to figure out what you want to do with your life and how your wish to move through the world. We are here to walk along with you on this journey.鈥�

3:43 p.m. A Hug for the Road

Then it was time for family goodbyes. Bella Saul 鈥�26 of Brooklyn says goodbye to parents Sophia Scantlebury and Jon Saul.

3:45 p.m. It runs in the family

Goodbyes can involve extended 乐播传媒 families. Here, Paul Scola says goodbye to his nephew, George Peacock 鈥�26. Nearby were George’s parents, Brad Peacock ’92 and Tracey O’Mara Peacock ’94.

Scola’s own first-year son, Sam ’26 of San Mateo, Calif., was also close by as the families said their goodbyes. And, both Sam and George have 乐播传媒 siblings.

The high school transcript of a typical 乐播传媒 first-year student is usually dazzling, but what鈥檚 under the hood 鈥� revealed through the entirety of an application 鈥� is fascinating. The incoming Class of 2026, which arrives on Wednesday, Aug. 31, for Orientation, is no exception.

Need your car cleaned up? We have two incoming first-year students who founded their own car-detailing businesses. 

Have a hankering for fresh tuna? A student from Cape Cod runs his own commercial fishing business. 

Looking for a talented singer? We鈥檝e got a soprano who sang the national anthem at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. 

Want a game of chess? We鈥檝e got one of the top 20 teenage chess players in the nation, as ranked by the U.S. Chess Federation.

Beyond talents and overall good gumption, the 520 members of the incoming class collectively show a 鈥渞eal uptick in being civically engaged鈥� in various ways, says Leigh Weisenburger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 perhaps in light of the cultural and political landscape that’s overlaid COVID the last couple of years.鈥�

By various measures 鈥� and as 乐播传媒 Admission continues its work to expand 乐播传媒鈥� national and international reach 鈥� this year鈥檚 class is perhaps the college’s most diverse ever:

• 67 percent of the class arrives from outside New England, the highest percentage ever. (A quarter century ago, 44 percent were from outside the region.)
• Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) from the U.S. represent 29 percent of the incoming class, the highest percentage ever.
• 12 percent are first-generation to college.
• 10 percent are international students. 
• 44 percent are receiving institutional need-based financial aid.
• 13 percent are Pell grant recipients. 

Another trend Weisenburger and her team have seen reflects the pandemic鈥檚 effect on the high school experience: students discovering individual interests. Last year, for example, Weisenburger noted how students used the forced downtime of the pandemic discovering 鈥渘ew interests or rediscovering old passions.鈥� 

Among this year鈥檚 cohort, more than a few show a sustained interest in gardening, 鈥渁nd there are a few beekeepers,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e see them finding interests that helped them get out of their houses when they can鈥� during the pandemic 鈥� often combining their new interests with broader environmental sustainability efforts.

But home, especially the kitchen, sustains them too, Weisenburger says, noting that more than a few students talked about cooking dinner with their families. 鈥淭here鈥檚 that idea of coming back to the table together鈥� 鈥� which means these new students should be well suited for the 乐播传媒 dinner table that is Commons.

鈥嬧�婳ther interesting talents and interests from the new class include students who:

• Wrote children鈥檚 books to help youngsters understand social issues, including a blog with 5,000-plus readers in 41 countries.
• Has completed a wildlife technician program in New York.
• Is a Celtic harpist who built their harp themselves by hand.
• Won their state鈥檚 National History Day contest with a paper exploring the mythmaking of the Bulgarian Batak massacre of 1876.
• Founded a nonprofit, in memory of a deceased younger brother, to support children in long hospital stays.
• Used the downtime of the pandemic to memorize all of the national flags of the world. 
• Has a part-time job oyster farming.
• Fishes commercially for striped bass, bluefish, and bluefin tuna off Cape Cod.
• Is a nationally ranked alpine skier who created podcast on female athlete body image.
• Built their own sea kayak for a 10-day solo paddling trip in Canada.
• Introduced an Indigenous land acknowledgement for their school.
• Can solve a Rubix cube in 30 seconds.
• Started a successful donut business during COVID, donating proceeds to nonprofits.
• Performs in a professional ballet company.
• Created a podcast about Richard Nixon and Watergate and interviewed a former Nixon staffer.
• Works election poll sites in her California town.
• Played bass in a punk band called Phlegm.
• Founded a moving company.
• Co-founded a video game development and graphics design company; launched an educational startup company.
• Has a grandfather who co-founded the 乐播传媒 Puddle Jump.
• Has an assistant screenwriter credit on a holiday film streaming on Amazon Prime.
• Manages the largest social media poetry page in Bangladesh.
• Authored an introductory latin textbook and smartphone app.