The class of 2030 gathered in one area for the first time Aug. 21 at Moby Arena for convocation, an annual, historic ceremony that welcomes new students and marks the beginning of their academic journey at Colorado State University.
The ceremony came after several days of Ram Welcome events, in which students had the opportunity to settle into their dorms, explore campus and meet other students in their class and respective majors. Nadine Bustos, a first-year student studying wildlife biology, said the buildup to being on campus was worth it.
“It was nice,” Bustos said. “There was a lot of waiting leading up to it, but the energy was really good.”
Sydney Sierra, a first-year student studying psychology, said she didn’t expect to connect with so many people early on.
“I guess I just didn’t expect how easy it was to walk up to someone and be like, ‘Hey,’ and how welcoming everyone would be,” Sierra said. “It was really nice to see how many people are in the same situation.”
Alongside performances from the CSU Marching Band and spirit squads, students listened to a number of speakers, including Vice President for Student Affairs Blanche Hughes, CSU President Amy Parsons, Provost Lise Youngblade and Associated Students of CSU President Victoria Quesada-Stoner.
Hughes opened the ceremony by touching on CSU’s “Find Your Energy” slogan, encouraging the incoming class to take advantage of the opportunities they will encounter in their time at CSU.
“It reflects CSU’s belief that everyone, from all backgrounds, can find a home here, discover who they are and pursue a world-class education,” Hughes said. “Finding your energy starts with finding your place and your purpose, both in and out of the classroom.”
Quesada-Stoner agreed, challenging the new class to search for new experiences and confront new ideas.
“As classes begin, continue challenging yourself by stepping outside of your comfort zone and continue building your confidence,” Quesada-Stoner said. “It can feel overwhelming, so take it all in, and do not be afraid to ask questions. Your journey at CSU will be your very own.”
Parsons continued by giving a preview of what is to come in the 2026-27 academic year, highlighting a period of growth and change for CSU.
“You are starting at CSU at a particularly exciting time,” Parsons said. “World class faculty in every college, exciting pace of innovation and technological change, creative artistry everywhere, astonishing research discoveries happening in every single college across campus and (with) our first season in the Pac-12, the biggest-ever sports season.”
The feature of the event was guest speaker Stephen Brackett, a CSU alumnus who served as Colorado’s music ambassador and member of the alternative hip-hop group Flobots. Brackett has served as the ceremony’s guest speaker for the last three years.
Brackett’s speech empathized with the challenges the incoming class will face, acknowledging the uncertainty and societal pressures that will shape their college experiences and lives beyond CSU.
He opened by speaking about current events and the affordability crisis facing younger generations, examining how affordability has changed over time and how younger Americans have been left to navigate the economic challenges inherited from previous generations.
“The story thus far is that the economy is hanging on by a thread of optimism, the job market is frayed, housing prices climb while real earnings plummet and the cost of simply staying alive has skyrocketed,” Brackett said. “It’s the bitter absurdity of being told to budget better by folks who bought four-bedroom homes on a single job while you’re out here calculating whether you can afford both groceries and prescriptions in a week.”
Brackett said his generation left important work unfinished, encouraging the incoming class to learn from the older generation’s mistakes that led to current crises.
“We traded radical imagination for comfortable compromises,” Brackett said. “We protected our turf, protected our peace of mind and told ourselves we’d fix the structural run tomorrow — until tomorrow became your freshman year move-in. I’m not asking you to take up this plan from a place of moral superiority; I’m asking from a place of confession.”
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, Brackett pushed students to embrace their agency, find their voices and challenge the systems around them rather than accept them as they are.
“This is the moment to find your voice, assemble your circle, choose your collaborators … and bring light into dreams where grown folk have lost the keys to imagination,” Brackett said. “Do not ask the university for a degree — demand an education. Do not ask these systems for a seat, bring your own chair and rebuild the table.”
Students reflecting on the ceremony agreed Brackett’s speech was one of the most memorable parts of convocation for them.
“My favorite part of it, like, the highlight, was (Brackett’s) speech,” said Karen Orellana, a first-year studying journalism and media communication. “That was really good. (I had) chills.”
Reach Claire VanDeventer at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
