Dressed in their best casual summer attire, more than 2,400 incoming Coastal Carolina University students filed into the HTC Center Sunday afternoon, Aug. 19, for their first collective assembly. The next time these students gather as a group, they will be wearing their graduation caps and gowns as the Class of 2022. The purpose of the event on Sunday, known as New Student Convocation, is to prepare them for what comes in between these two milestones.

The anchor event of Welcome Week, the convocation gives the students a chance to bond and reflect on the challenges and opportunities ahead. The students also take the CCU Honor Pledge, a central part of the ceremony.

President David A. DeCenzo welcomed the students and talked about CCU's core values-"truth, respect, integrity and excellence. These values stand in direct opposition to the evil beliefs of those who are intent on spreading hatred, fear and division in our world today," he said. "We cannot and must not avoid tough but important issues simply because they are unpleasant to address. Instead, we need to recognize that other thoughtful and caring people may have very different views on how best to address complex personal and social problems."

Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Byington reported some demographics of the incoming class: more than half of the class is majoring in the sciences, and the average high school grade point average of students in the entering class was 3.6. Byington introduced each of the deans of CCU's five colleges individually and asked the students majoring in each college to stand with their respective dean.

"I like how they had us stand up and be recognized as members of a particular academic college," said Megan MacGillivray, an early childhood education major from Bel Air, Md.

The honor pledge was administered by faculty member Clayton Whitesides, CCU's academic integrity officer, with the assistance of D'Andre Fletcher, president of the Student Government Association. The students stood and recited the pledge, promising 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 made me feel like I am really a part of CCU now," said Janesia Hill, a public health major from Greenwood, S.C.

Keynote speaker Mikayla Morris, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, spoke from her personal experience about what it means to be a Chanticleer, creating an acrostic to illustrate the key points of her success and identity as a CCU student:

C- customer service

H - hard work

A - accountability

N - networking

T - tealriffic! ("I'm an English major," said Morris, "so I can make up my own words!")

Students responded positively to the convocation. Jordan Morris, a national security and intelligence major from Rock Hill, S.C., said he liked "the family atmosphere" of the event. Morris is a cornerback on the Chanticleer football team.

MacGillivray and Hill are roommates in Teal Hall. They had never met before this week and are excited about the challenges ahead. "Coastal is a very welcoming place," said Hill. "I feel like I'm at home."