Thousands of first-year and transfer students marked the start of their UB journeys Friday night alongside several university leaders, including President Caroline Attardo Genco, PhD, who welcomed the university’s newest members at her first major university event since becoming UB’s 16th president.

Held Friday at Broadview Stadium as part of Welcome Weekend, the convocation brought together approximately 6,700 first-year and transfer students to officially kick off the academic year.  It was the first convocation held by the university in decades.

With its combination of ceremony, True Blue spirit and community, the evening marked the beginning of what university leaders hope will become a new UB tradition for generations of students to come.

“While UB will become part of your story, you will become an important part of ours,” Genco shared with the enthusiastic crowd of students decked out in UB blue and white. “The students who came before you helped create the traditions you are inheriting today. And now, it’s your turn to create your own traditions and find ways to make this university even better. That is what it means to be part of a community: learning from one another and building something together.”

It was a milestone Genco shared with the students. As they begin a new chapter at UB, she is beginning one of her own — leading the university into a new era.

Several university leaders joined Genco in welcoming the incoming class, along with members of the UB Council, UB Foundation, faculty and student leadership.

“You have joined a university with local, national and global impact,” Provost A. Scott Weber told students. “At UB, you will be challenged. Our programs are rigorous, but with the help of our faculty, staff and fellow students, you will achieve heights you might not imagine while sitting here today.”

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeff Grabill also offered some practical and supportive advice to the new class.

“We know that students who get involved, meet people and make friends in the first few weeks are more likely to stay and do well here,” Grabill said. “Make it a priority to meet people. To do that, you might need to take some risks. Risk introducing yourself. Risk feeling a bit awkward. Risk trying something you have never done before.”

For students, the evening offered an early opportunity to experience the energy of the UB community and show their school spirit as they filled Broadview Stadium wearing UB t-shirts in preparation for their participation in the human interlocking UB, a university tradition since 2005, immediately after the convocation.

First-year student Dalanie Wilcox, who is studying nuclear medicine technology, said the evening captured the sense of connection she has already felt at UB.

“I think this is unique and special because we’re all bonding over the same thing, getting to know each other and having new experiences,” Wilcox said. “Everybody here is so friendly, and I’m excited to get to know my way around campus, meet my professors and have a positive experience here.”

Also sitting together in the stands were first-year students Mason Naple, William Reed and Zach Pettit, members of the UB football team who had already spent much of the summer on campus together. But as thousands of students arrived for the fall semester, the three were seeing UB in a new light.

For Naple, a biomedical sciences major, one of the biggest changes has been watching UB come alive. “You can tell the campus is picking up,” he said. “It’s actually pretty cool to see.”

Reed, who is studying business analytics and marketing, came to UB from a much smaller school and said the size and diversity of the university have opened a new range of possibilities. “There are so many opportunities to get to know new people,” he said.

Pettit, an exercise science major, echoed that sense of connection — and the pride he feels in joining a community made up of people from many different backgrounds. “I’m proud that I get to be a part of this very diverse school,” he said. “I really look forward to meeting new people from all over the world.”

The event concluded with a stirring rendition of the university’s alma mater performed by UB’s student a capella group, the Buffalo Chips.

"New student convocation was a visible illustration of what UB is: a vibrant, diverse, thriving academic community made up of students full of boundless talent and potential,” Brian Hamluk, vice president for Student Life, said. “Uniting as a campus community to begin the academic year showcases the energy and pride we have in UB.”

Watch the convocation recording on UB’s YouTube channel.