Forty-five months.
That's how long the Class of 2011 has to prove that they "truly rule," Penn President Amy Gutmann said last night at Convocation.
Gutmann officially welcomed the incoming class and transfer students out on a majestically lit College Green during the annual ceremony.
She instructed the class to "keep [their] minds open" and "aim high."
"Let's show the world how your great Class of 2011 and Penn can rule together," Gutmann said.
The ceremony also included speeches by Provost Ronald Daniels and Alumni President Paul Williams and musical performances by Penn a cappella group The Inspiration and the Glee Club.
Describing the college experience as a "series of conversations," Daniels urged the audience to "experiment and play."
"The University is yours to seize," Daniels said at the end of his speech. "Bon Voyage."
Williams, who graduated from Wharton in 1967, told the newcomers that their Penn education would be "transformative."
Williams spoke about infrastructural developments since his graduation, the vibrant energy on campus and how he wouldn't be accepted if he applied today.
He offered the support of the alumni community, reminding students that the coffee at the alumni office is free and "not bad."
Administrators also referenced current Penn students as examples of the class' potential.
She specifically cited College seniors Mara Gordon and Gabe Crane - who both write for The Daily Pennsylvanian - as examples of current Penn students who demonstrate these mottos.
Gordon led service initiatives in Botswana this summer while Crane created the Mississippi Project, an online multimedia literary journal.
With many singing along to the Penn anthem finale, most students said the ceremony was inspiring and welcoming.
"It was the first time I had the feeling that this was real," College freshman Rachel Villa said of her acceptance to Penn.
Other highlights included the red and blue lighting that flashed on College Hall during the anthem finale and the inspirational music.
Wharton freshman Chris Fortunato said the ceremony, along with its lighting and music, was "invigorating".
"I just felt like I became part of the Penn tradition," Wharton freshman Linda Dong added. "Like I was joining part of a really old Penn community."
