Incoming undergraduates received an enthusiastic welcome from President Sian Leah Beilock, Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences Nina Pavcnik, and other senior leaders on Sept. 3 in Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field.
Members of the Class of 2029 and transfer students, most of whom had arrived on campus just hours earlier, wore jewel-colored T-shirts representing their house communities to the “Dartmouth Welcome” ceremony, which was also livestreamed. They were joined by their families and supporters, seated nearby in the stands for the late afternoon event, which was marked by words of advice, support, and an emphasis on the value of diverse perspectives.
“Your journey here is going to be challenging, rewarding, and at times downright difficult, but it will be so worthwhile,” President Beilock told the students. “Know that as a community, we’re excited to see where it takes you, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.”
Speaking to the crowd of more than 3,000, Cheryl Bascomb ’82, vice president for alumni relations, emphasized the deep connections alumni build with Dartmouth, and their commitment to helping and supporting current students, and each other, “for the rest of their lives.”
Maia Bazo Vergara ’28 recounted her own “magical” experiences as a first-year student last fall, and advised the new undergraduates to enjoy New Student Orientation and approach it “in a way that feels natural to who you are.”
Kathryn Bezella, dean of undergraduate admissions, described the 1,209-member Class of 2029 and 40 transfer students as smart, funny, creative, curious, and kind.
“We shaped this class guided by those wonderful qualities, looking for signs not only of how you would contribute to our classrooms, but also who you would be as a roommate, a tour guide, a lab partner, a friend,” Bezella said of the class, which comes from 47 states, 11 tribal nations, and 54 countries. “When Dartmouth’s motto says that we educate the most promising students … for a lifetime of responsible leadership, remember this: we mean you.”
Pavcnik encouraged the undergraduates to follow their curiosity, challenge themselves, and not fear mistakes.
“Mistakes are part of learning. Remember that. Embrace them,” she said. “Our faculty and staff are here to empower you as you move through these challenges and determine your growth.”
Beilock highlighted the “extraordinary opportunities” awaiting them over the next few years, such as building bonds with professors inside and outside the classroom.
“Dartmouth undergrads are doing world-changing research with our faculty, developing AI-powered technologies that can support mental health, visiting D.C. to explore how to bridge partisan divides, and mapping new galaxies that could shed light on the formation of the universe,” said Beilock, who also underscored the importance of engaging in productive dialogue across differences.
Orientation includes an introduction to Dartmouth Dialogues designed to help students tell their own stories, listen deeply, and forge connections with those they disagree with, all of which requires a shared community, shared values, and shared principles, Beilock said.
“It’s an expectation we will hold that you make everyone in this community feel welcome. It means putting a premium on being able to express your views, but being clear that we won’t rob other people of that ability to express their views,” she said. “It means really valuing the diversity we see in all its forms, and again, pushing against the idea that one view or one perspective is always right.”
The ceremony was followed by a short walk to Leede Arena for the first meeting of the Class of 2029, an orientation tradition featuring Your Class, Your Words, a spoken-word program based on the incoming class’s admissions essays, performed by their upper-level classmates.
Along the way, Allen House member Miami Jones ’29, who will play on the women’s hockey team, said she was drawn to Dartmouth for what it has to offer, including its athletics program.
“Obviously, it’s Dartmouth, so I was really interested,” said Jones, of San Diego, Calif., who is considering a major in political science.
Mubeen Chaudhary ’29, of Lahore, Pakistan, said his choice was influenced by the natural surroundings. “The place is very beautiful,” said Chaudhary, who belongs to East Wheelock House. “That was actually one of the attractions.”
Aubrey Umiamaka, who came to Hanover from Kailua, Hawaii, was looking at Ivy League schools in general; Dartmouth’s Indigenous Fly-In Program won her over.
“I hung out a lot with the Native community here, Native Hawaiians, other Native Americans, and it felt very reminiscent of home,” says the School House member, who plans to major in biology or environmental studies. “It felt very comfortable. It felt like I belonged and I wasn’t an odd one out.”
Orientation continues through Sept. 15, with programs to help the undergraduates get to know one another and Dartmouth. Among the activities are open houses with dozens of academic departments, the Student Involvement Fair, meetings with advisors, and course selection.
The first of four sections of First-Year Trips starts on Sept. 4. Matriculation and the Twilight Ceremony are set for Sept. 14.
Other welcoming programs this summer have included the First-Year Summer Enrichment Program, which took place last month, and the on-campus International Student Pre-Orientation and Native and Indigenous Pre-Orientation programs, held earlier this week.
Elsewhere on campus, practices and scrimmages for preseason athletes have been underway for several weeks. Geisel School of Medicine held orientation programs for new medical students starting in late July, and for Health Sciences Programs students last month. The Tuck School of Business orientation kicked off in July with Pre-Tuck Launch, followed by Tuck Launch, which wrapped up on Aug. 22.
Orientations at Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and Thayer School of Engineering are both set for Sept. 10 to 12.