On a warm Sunday evening in front of the Old Capitol building, the newest members of the University of Iowa family raise gold tassels above their head.

“This tassel represents your pledge to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the University of Iowa that you will strive to reach your academic goals,” says Sue Curry, UI interim executive vice president and provost. “In turn, this tassel represents our pledge to you that the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the University of Iowa will provide an environment of academic challenge and academic support in which you can succeed.”

The Sunday events—convocation and the President’s Block Party—wrap up three days of On Iowa! activities designed to help the thousands of members of the Class of 2022 make friends, discover Hawkeye traditions, prepare to excel in classes, and explore activities and student organizations.

As the new classmates mingle on the Pentacrest and later eat dinner on the front lawn of UI President J. Bruce Harreld’s residence, they reminisce about their first few days on campus and looked forward to what was next.

Madison Foust of Bernard, Iowa, and Devyn Moore of Oakland, Iowa, met each other the week before and both are interested in nursing. As the two wait for convocation to begin, Foust admits she’s a little nervous about classes starting, but also excited.

“I want to succeed and grow as a person,” Foust says. “I really like this city and could see myself working at the hospital, so I want to take advantage of all the opportunities there.”

Foust says her favorite On Iowa! event was taking the class picture in the shape of the “Block I” on the field of Kinnick Stadium and joining the new tradition of waving to patients in the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital—particularly because of a personal connection to the hospital.

“I know one of the kids who was up in the Children’s Hospital when we did the wave,” Foust says. “It was so cool.”

Nearby, another group of students is chatting about what they had been up to during their first few days on campus.

“Meeting new faces, trying to get settled in—the usual when it comes to starting a new part of your life,” says Adam Thiessen, of Waterloo, Iowa.

While Alex Markham of West Des Moines, Iowa, says he was surprised by how big campus is, his friend, Matthew Hsieh of West Des Moines, said it doesn’t always feel that big.

“Everywhere I turn, I see someone I know or have a connection with, like a friend of a friend,” Hsieh says. “It’s nice because you know people, but I also plan to make new friends as well.”

Bailey Goldberg of Clear Lake, Iowa, says she looks forward to meeting as many people as possible and joining some clubs and intramural sports. She plans to major in biology with a pre-medicine track, but says the class she is most excited about is medieval culture and religion—which does have a connection to medicine.

“It touches on the Black Plague, which is something I’ve always been interested in,” Goldberg says.

There’s no shortage of advice for the Class of 2022 during Sunday’s events. Hira Mustafa, UI Student Government president, encourages the new students to be engaged and push themselves to try new things. She promises that she is practicing what she preaches.

“My first class tomorrow is stand-up comedy,” says Mustafa, a senior from West Des Moines who is working toward a major in ethics and public policy, interdepartmental studies in workplace practices and perspectives, and a minor in philosophy.

Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of University College, shares the advice that former UI President Walter Jessup gave first-year students in 1916.

“If you want a great university, become great students,” Uden-Holman quotes. “For if we have great students who rise to the opportunity of the university, we can be great.”

A member of the Class of 2022 has advice for his classmates, courtesy of his grandmother.

“She told me if you want the best out of life, you have to grab it by the throat and make it sing,” says Darius Christiansen, of New Orleans, who’s speaking as the class representative. “We will all be changed, and we will all be challenged. But I want you all to promise me one thing: Do not let any nerves or any one failure make you doubt yourself and your place at this university. And if you begin to feel that, talk to somebody. You can talk to me; you can talk to one another; you call your mama. Talk to someone.”

President Harreld echoes Christensen’s advice to seek help when needed.

“No one up on this podium at some point in their lives—academically or professionally—didn’t need help,” Harreld says. “That’s why we’re here: to provide you that help to reach your dreams. Please know, if you need help, raise your hand. Seek us out. We are here to help you get through the process; you will get through.”

Harreld reminds students that while the first few days were invigorating, the real excitement is just beginning.

“We prepare people here not just for a job, but for a lifetime of learning,” Harreld says. “Most of us change our decisions and our jobs—at least from a recent report I read—11.6 times. That means 11.6 times we have to lift ourselves up and learn new teams, new organizations, new skills, and sometimes new professions. The reason you’re here, and the reason we’re here, is to prepare you for a lifetime of learning, a lifetime of engagement, and a lifetime of excitement.”

Christensen says while everyone’s journey to Iowa was different, they are all working toward the same goal.

“I’m 920-plus miles from my people, from my friends, from my culture, my food, my dogs,” Christensen says. “I’m 920 miles from everything I know. But there are people who have traveled farther than me. We are a class from different horizons, we’re from different soils, from different ’hoods. But we all gathered today on the Pentacrest with one goal, and that is to better our lives and to better our future.”

Then Curry tells the students they now are part of a rich tradition dating back to 1847.

“As the words of "Old Gold Hymn" remind us, you are the heirs of a proud spirit of those scholars who have come before you,” Curry says. “You too will be the legacy to the scholars who will come after you.”