Nearly 3,000 freshmen and transfer students took the Coastal Carolina University Honor Pledge at the annual New Student Convocation, held Sunday, Aug. 20, at the HTC Center on campus.

The anchor event of Welcome Week, the convocation provided an occasion for the Class of 2021 to bond and reflect on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

By taking the honor pledge, a central part of the convocation ceremony, students promise to take responsibility for their personal behavior and oppose instances of academic dishonesty as defined in the CCU Code of Student Conduct. The honor pledge was administered by Amanda Siegrist, CCU's academic integrity officer, with the assistance of Jonathan Burlinson of CCU's Student Government Association.

CCU President David DeCenzo welcomed the class and talked about the core values that define the University. He stressed the importance of civility as a cornerstone of academic discourse, describing CCU as "a thoughtful community." DeCenzo also emphasized the importance of making good decisions and the consequences of the decisions we make.

Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Byington reported on the demographics of the incoming class: 44 percent are from South Carolina and 56 percent hail from 41 other states and 23 other countries; nearly half of the class is majoring in the sciences; the average high school grade point average of students in the entering class was 3.6.

The student address was given by Shayla Anderson, a 2017 CCU graduate who is now pursuing a master's degree in education. She offered insights from her personal journey as a CCU student and tips for success inside and outside the classroom.

Anderson advised the new students never to forget "that the first priority is education. Stay academically driven. Invest in yourself. If you are diligent from the start, your work is half done."

She said that the most meaningful part of her undergraduate experience at Coastal was serving as a mentor to students in the LIFE program. "It's important to use your own strength to impact the lives of others."

Anderson also urged the students to use social media judiciously. "What goes online stays online - forever."

Daphne Holland, assistant provost of summer initiatives and first year success, announced the various activities associated with the Big Read initiative, which has been revamped this year to include an essay contest as well as a creative project to be completed during the upcoming academic year.