Students Attend Freshman Convocation as Prelude to First Day of Classes

Old Dominion's newest students got their formal - and final - introduction to the university the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 30, at Freshman Convocation.

Decked out in shirts and ties, and dresses on the Ted Constant Convocation Center arena floor, the 2,700 young men and women recited the Honor Code, sang the Alma Mater (right) and heard words of inspiration from a variety of speakers, including President John Broderick, Alumni Association President Jeff Ainslie '83 and keynote speaker Jeff Johnson, a Washington, D.C.-based award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator.

Picking up on ODU's new tagline, "Idea Fusion," Johnson challenged students to fuse themselves with the institutional fabric of the university and "to get outside your comfort zone."

"Redefine what it means to be a new student at ODU," he said. "Take the tradition of alumni and fuse it with new ways of doing things."

In closing, he asked: "What will you do with this opportunity you've been afforded?"