Wilmington College President Corey Cockerill hearkened to the words engraved on the cornerstone of Marble Hall, “Built by Students,” as she formally welcomed 295 incoming freshmen and transfer students at the annual New Student Convocation on Friday (Aug. 21).
The College badly needed a new men’s residence hall in the late 1940s, as an influx of former soldiers returning from World War II on the GI Bill ushered in a new era at WC. As the rallying call of President Sam Marble, students turned out en masse to help build the dormitory, a move the national media hailed as an exemplar of self-help and the American can-do spirit.
“Those three words, ‘Built by Students,’ describe this entire place,” Cockerill added. “WC was built by people (students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, friends) who saw something special and worked to make it better. Students, you are an architect at Wilmington College!”
PHOTO: Samantha Peery, a new transfer student from Columbus, IN, and her family meet with officials from Peoples Savings Bank during Thursday's Wilmington Community Fair, at which local businesses, churches and organizations welcomed the new students and shared some of the benefits they can offer the newest members of the Wilmington community.
While 21st-century construction codes and other legalities now prevent students from building campus structures, the president used that iconic example in emphasizing students’ impact at the College. Indeed, they are the architects of their own futures and that of the College. Witness students’ hands-on involvement that led to the recent remodeling of The Underground game room, the return of Community Day and the painting of a whimsical mural on the side of a building. “At WC we ask, ‘What if and why not?’” she said.
Cockerill also spoke of the Quaker belief in “that of God in everyone” and how each person possesses an inner light with a potential to change the world or one small part of it. “We want you to let that light shine, your inner light,” she added. “Our doors are open and you, your voice and your ideas matter here. We hear, value and respect you.”
Alysa Pringle, president of the Student Government Association, spoke of sitting in Heiland Theatre three years ago when she arrived at the College as a freshman, never imagining what she would accomplish at WC. “When you arrived on campus yesterday, no one expected you to have your future figured out,” she said. “Get involved. Don’t be afraid to use your voice. Say yes to meeting new people, learning something new and taking advantage of the opportunities here.”
PHOTO: New students participated in an ice-breaking activity, Playfair, on Thursday evening, in which a facilitator/emcee led them through a series of meet-and-greet routines that quickly turned strangers into emerging friends.
Adam Lohrey introduced the incoming class as 267 freshmen and 28 transfer students from 16 states and seven foreign countries. The class has an impressive cumulative 3.5+ high school grade point average, comes in with significant leadership experience and about 50 percent have an interest in continuing to play the sports they love.
Following the ceremony, the students processed through a welcoming line of faculty and staff in academic regalia en route to the Campus Rock, where they symbolically signed in for the start of their DubC experience.
TOP PHOTO: New students engage in the tradition of signing the Campus Rock, the symbolic start of their Wilmington College experience. During Commencement Weekend, the soon-to-be graduates will symbolically sign out at the same location.