Wayne State College hosted the 2024 Freshman Convocation in the Willow Bowl on Friday, Aug. 16.

The convocation, which many WSC students have been to, is the precursor to Spring Commencement, which happens in the Willow Bowl every spring. This year, over 900 Wayne State firstyear students and transfer students, as well as their parents and guardians, were at the ceremony this year.

There were four speakers this year. The first speaker was John Miller, Vice President of Academic Affairs. He welcomed the students, their parents, the faculty and staff that attended, and introduced the next speaker, President Marysz Rames.

President Rames welcomed the new class of first-year students and transfer students in her speech before Miller stepped again to welcome this year’s student body president, senior Griffin Ryan.

The final speaker was Luke Virgil, who works in economic development for Wayne. At the end of the ceremony the Week of Welcome ambassadors handed out compasses, which symbolizes the first year’s journeys through college. The newcomers then met up with their first-year groups after a final goodbye to the parents. This was Ryan’s first big speech as student body president.

“I’d never talked in front of that many people before, so I was kind of rattled, but I think it went well,” Ryan said.

The duties for Student Senate are to facilitate club creation, facilitate budgets for the many clubs on campus, and they have been able to do their own things around campus.

In terms of the number of first-year students at convocation, Ryan stated that he was happy since WSC has been increasing student enrollment every year, and being able to provide more opportunities for students, especially the first-generation students.

“I thought it was really cool,” Griffin said. “Everyone seemed supportive of their kids, and everyone seemed really proud.”