Barnard’s annual Convocation is a beloved College tradition that celebrates the official launch of the new academic year. On September 18, students, faculty, staff, and alumnae gathered at the historic Riverside Church to embrace the 2023 fall semester — giving Barnard’s ninth president, Laura Rosenbury, her first color-coded welcome since her arrival at the College in June.
New and returning students — donning blue, green, red, or yellow T-shirts — filled the church, cheering in excitement, energized to embrace new opportunities, exploration, and growth.
President Rosenbury welcomed the Barnard community with opening remarks, especially the parents of new students, who were mostly watching via livestream. “Every one of our students is here for a reason. Thank you to the families and friends for entrusting these students to us,” she said. “We will be your partners every step of the way as these students begin their remarkable journey.”
Reflecting on her own experiences as a first-year college student decades ago, she noted that her first dorm mate — whom she described as having a vastly different background from herself — remains her best friend today, 35 years later. President Rosenbury then encouraged all first-years to find and create their own community, with peers who were no doubt probably seated somewhere around them in Riverside Church’s pews.
“Here is my advice for you today: Be bold in seeking out people with different viewpoints and backgrounds from your own,” she said. “Know that you are, first and foremost, part of a caring and understanding community, one built around shared values and a sense of belonging.”
“I urge you to always remember, out of thousands and thousands of applications, close to 12,000 applications, you are sitting here today,” said President Rosenbury. “Because we know you have the integrity, the intelligence, the compassion, the purpose … to be an exceptional Barnard student. We know what you can bring to this community because we chose you. And we will continue to choose you, every day. We will support you. We will be here for you.”
Following her remarks, President Rosenbury introduced Herminia Palacio ’83, M.D., MPH, who delivered the keynote address. Dr. Palacio is the president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute — a leading research and policy think tank dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and globally. She is also an award-winning public health expert with more than 30 years of experience across academic and clinical medicine, governmental public health, and philanthropy.
Dr. Palacio — whose sister, Cristina Palacio ’73, was a first-generation graduate of the College — shared that her time at Barnard was “an opportunity of a lifetime, a launching pad that changed [my] family trajectory in a single generation.”
“Whether you are entering your first year, your last year, or somewhere in between, I invite you to reflect on your own ‘origin’ story. Who are you? How will you grow? Who will comprise your communities?” said Dr. Palacio.
Dr. Palacio talked about what it meant for students to live in a time of geopolitical strife and environmental challenges and to never forget to look out for each other.
“The personal and professional decisions you will make will be yours, but you needn’t make them in isolation,” she advised. “Indeed, you should not make them in isolation — especially not in volatile situations or when unrest abounds.”
Dr. Palacio continued: “Look both ways, then look behind you, and in front of you. Look both ways to see who is extending their arms to catch you when you stumble, for stumble you will,” she encouraged students. “Look behind you to see who has set their shoulders strong and firm for you to stand on, because they did not struggle, strive, and survive, and thrive in vain. Look ahead of you to see who is lighting a path you didn’t even know was there. And always look within because your joy, your strength, your boldness abound.” (Watch a short video interview of Dr. Palacio.)
Provost Linda A. Bell, who shared greetings from the faculty, invited students to join campus faculty “in the difficult and joyful work of learning; to believe in imperfection and the necessity of intervention; to study data not to prove hypotheses but to discover them.” Provost Bell then made two promises to the rapt listeners: “First, that here at Barnard, your faculty will be right there with you. And second, that on those days when you succeed — and they will come — that you will see the world in a different way than you ever did before.”
Cheryl Milstein ’82, P’14, Chair of the Board of Trustees, continued on the theme of community and the importance of building relationships. “Look to your left; look to your right. There are many strangers beside you, many of whom will become your lifelong friends,” she told the students. “Get to know the faculty and the staff, who are so excited to support you, and they too will be with you over the years. … When the weather gets nice, find a spot on campus that you love, and just sit there and soak it all in. Savor the moments, the memories; they will sustain you.”
Offering greetings from the staff was Jennifer Rosales, Vice President for Inclusion and Engaged Learning, Chief Diversity Officer, and Assistant Professor of Practice in the Education Department: “By entering Barnard’s gates, each of us has joined, for life, a beloved community,” she said. “This community is very much a part of the ‘real world,’ but it also stands out as an example of what community — at its best — can mean.”
The president of the Student Government Association (SGA), Mariame Sissoko ’24, shared that even in the face of change, Barnard is a community of constant support for students. “Don’t be afraid to lean on each other and use the resources at your disposal,” they encouraged. “The beginning of a new school year means the possibilities are endless. Take advantage of every single one.”
Leslie Grinage, Dean of the College, invited students to explore all of the possibilities on their path for a new year at Barnard. “Convocation presents us with hopeful expectations. For our newest students, this may be the hopeful expectation of all that your Barnard journey will bring,” she said. “For our seniors, it might be the expectation of a joyous final year culminating in Commencement only eight short months later. And for students in between — maybe it’s the expectation of continued growth and discovery, accompanied by greater self-confidence and self-awareness.
“I’m so excited to mark the beginning of the school year and to attend the block party,” said Esha Julka ’24, a computer science major who shared that this was the first Convocation she was able to attend during her time at Barnard. “There’s so much in between Convocation and Commencement. Most importantly — just to get through it!”
“I’m excited to engage people, different clubs, different classes — and to have some school spirit because this is a beautiful community,” said Destiny Arias ’27, whose academic interests include history and political science.
Biochemistry major Chloe Allan ’27 gushed at attending her first Convocation at the College. “I feel like there are so many incredible experiences and opportunities that Barnard has to offer, and I’m really looking forward to taking advantage of as many things as I can.”
Following the ceremony, students continued the celebration at the annual Barnard Block Party on campus, invigorated by the speeches they heard at Convocation and ready to create memories and meet new challenges.
