SARAH MOTLEY, Special to The Denisonian—
On the evening of August 25th, the freshman Class of 2026 gathered by Reese Shackle Field Commons to be officially welcomed into the Denison community. The induction ceremony was graced by thoughtful speeches, a warm breeze, and the gentle nerves of families about to say their goodbye.
President Weinberg mentioned in his address to the class. With over 12,000 applications for this school year and just 22% of that number being accepted, the 685 students comprising the freshman class is the largest in Denison’s history.
“It’s a class characterized by young adults who have faced their formative years during a global pandemic and the age of ever-evolving media and technology” Weinberg said in his speech.
So, how has this historic class fit in so far at Denison? With August Orientation being the most comprehensive first glimpse of Denison’s life for the freshman class, most first-years have found their experience impactful in one way or another. 2022 Aug-O was a busy four days for staff and students alike.
“How do I give you a taste of the expectations of our institution? How do I provide you with access to the number of resources that we have?” asked Nathan Graves, Dean of First Years and Director of Orientation and First-Year Experience. When asked about the full schedule, he describes the planning and layout of the weekend as intentional.
“Aug-O is maybe not to paint the rosiest picture for you, but to maybe give you a realistic picture of what Denison can look like.”
Megan Conway ’26 offered her take on the Aug-O experience: “I thought it was hard to adjust to life on campus and also having back-to-back-to-back things.”
Perhaps the bustling, almost hectic nature of Aug-O serves to prepare the freshman class for Denison’s oft-described busy culture. Julia Barker ’26 notes that she struggled at times to find time for herself during the four days, but that her connections have extended from the orientation into the school year.
“I tried to make an effort to talk to different people,” she said. “I’m still friends with a lot of them.”
Aug-O may have presented different challenges for the first years, but it also provided numerous opportunities to meet new people and experience what life on The Hill will look like. The Class of 2026 embarks upon their Denison journey as an exceptional community of individuals, and Graves has great confidence in all of us; “I hope that you will find your unique presence on this campus and that you will share the unique talents that you bring to everyone you encounter.”