U. administrators welcome freshmen

President Sheldon Hackney discussed the growth and importance of higher education in contemporary society during a welcoming ceremony for freshmen on Sunday. He commended the 2000 students on their choice of an urban university, where people can learn to face the challenges posed by their surroundings, and he encouraged the new students to seize the future. "I cannot remember a time in my life when there were fewer constraints on our future," he said. Sunday's convocation ceremony, which provides a rare chance for administrators to speak directly to students, was the first time the Class of 1996 was together as a group, and is one of only few times they will sit together during the next four years. During the ceremony, Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson showered the audience with statistics illustrating the uniqueness of the Class of '96. She said that the freshman class represents 48 states and over 50 nations. Approximately one-third are minorities and 12 percent are children of alumni, Morrisson said. Twenty-six incoming freshmen are athletes with Olympic potential and 17 have owned and operated their own businesses, she said. Among the ranks of freshmen this year will also be a math genius, a Romanian revolutionary, and a direct descendant of the University's founder Benjamin Franklin. General Alumni Society President John Reardon also spoke, stressing the important contributions made by the University's 180,000 living alumni. With the help of Senior Class President Michael Rosenband, Reardon then unfurled the Class of 1996 flag -- backwards, unfortunately. Some freshmen said afterwards they thought the ceremony was welcoming. "I thought the speeches were very realistic," said Wharton freshman Stephen Scott. "The school is really on the ball, at least in terms of intentions." Other students said the proceedings were a little slow. "Hackney spoke well, though a little too long," said College freshman Karey Kessler. "Nobody was paying attention at first," said Wharton freshman Pierre Campana-Jourda. "Only by the end did people start getting into it.