NIU’s newest faces were christened as Huskies on Friday when the class of 2010 gathered at the Convocation Center for the Academic Convocation, followed by Friday Fest.

The Huskie band played as students entered the gymnasium at the Convocation Center, and the class opened by joining together in a chant of “Let’s go dogs!” and the NIU fight song. Highlight videos of various athletic organizations were also displayed as the freshman class made several efforts to hammer down the fight song lyrics.

A warm welcome

Professors and administrators soon joined the proceedings as President John Peters and Student Association President Adam Novotney led the staff to center stage.

Brian Hemphill, Vice President of Student Affairs, gave the opening address, encouraging the new Huskies to “get on your feet, and get engaged in your education.”

Peters made “purpose” the main focus of his message to the freshman class.

“Find your purpose, and dedicate yourself to fulfilling that purpose,” he said.

Peters continued by stressing the importance of freshmen ultimately reaching graduation date, not just for themselves, but for society.

“It means so much to you, it means so much to the staff and administrators and it means so much to this civilization that we belong to,” he said.

The Academic Convocation closed as students and staff joined together in a final rendition of the Huskie fight song.

Joe Babula, a freshman political science major, said he found the event to be a great learning experience.

“The convocation ceremony let me know exactly what Northern produces, what kind of people and alumni they produce, and how much the staff is respected,” he said.

Other students took more practical information from the convocation.

“There was a trivia question on the big screen, and it told which bus to take to Wal-Mart. I really wanted to know that, so that really helped me out,” said Justin McMillen, a freshman business organization major.

Friday Fest

Friday Fest immediately followed the Academic Convocation, where dozens of campus organizations gathered to introduce themselves to new students. Tables were set up all over the lot in front of the Convocation Center where group members provided information and chatted with prospective recruits.

“It gives them a chance to see what our house is all about, what we do, and what we are interested in,” said Sarah Rowley, a senior special education major. Rowley represented the Alpha Phi sorority, just one of the many Greek institutions participating in the fest.

Friday Fest is an opportunity to attract many new members, said Jeff Reining, a senior history major and member of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Justin Weaver is a campus reporter for the Northern Star.