Ohio State welcomes class of 2030

• President Ravi V. Bellamkonda speaks to students at Convocation

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Joy Dunne, center, and Emma Hellenkamp, left.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Students use their phone flashlights during Convocation.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Students were excited to begin the academic year.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Convocation ended with "Carmen Ohio."

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Students were encouraged to take selfies as a way to meet their classmates.

  Photo: The Ohio State University

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Ohio State welcomes class of 2030

Convocation marks start of academic year

First-year students from 47 states and 37 countries packed into the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University Monday for their official Buckeye welcome at Convocation. The annual event serves as a kick-off to the academic year as well as a crash course in Ohio State for all new students.

President Ravi V. Bellamkonda welcomed the group with enthusiasm.

"We're so glad that you've chosen Ohio State," he said. "In my mind, you're already succeeding because you've made one of the smartest possible decisions and that is becoming a Buckeye. By choosing The Ohio State University, you've given yourself an extraordinary gift."

Bellamkonda introduced Trevor Brown, interim executive vice president and provost, who introduced students to the university's alma mater, "Carmen Ohio." The song, Brown said, "unites us all as an enduring tradition."

Members of the men's and women's glee clubs and representatives from the university's community - faculty, staff and students - guided the audience through the song, illuminating each line's meaning.

Among the speakers were Ohio State University Marching Band drum major Ben Fox and Joy Dunne, current Buckeye and 2026 Olympic women's ice hockey gold medalist.

"My best advice," Dunne said, "is to ask for help. We all need it. There are so many resources, not just for student-athletes, but [all] students here. So, take advantage of it. Learn together. [College can be] a lot, but there are so many people that want to help you."

Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for student life, closed Convocation by getting everyone on their feet to sing "Carmen Ohio."

"There's a tiny bit of choreography to know about it and it starts with finding some fellow Buckeyes to stand next to," she said, encouraging students to stand together and sway to the song, as is tradition.

"On behalf of President Bellamkonda, Provost Brown and the entire senior leadership, faculty, staff and board of trustees of the university, I wish you the very best of luck on your Buckeye journey," she said.

"We'll be with you every extraordinary step of the way."

Before Convocation, Bellamkonda also spoke about some of the initiatives and projects he is excited about as the new academic year begins. He noted students and faculty would be traveling to Florida this week for the launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. More than two dozen Ohio State faculty, students and postdoctoral scholars have played a role in designing Roman's surveys.

"We'll be announcing an exciting startup program for student startups called BuildX," he said. "We want 100 investable student startups to come out of Ohio State from our students."

BuildX is designed to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of students at Ohio State. The university will tap a $1 million fund to support students and their ideas. Bellamkonda said the program would include academic courses for credit.

"This year, we're hoping to have 20 startups that will pilot the program as we launch it. And every year, we'll build more," he said.

Bellamkonda said he is also looking forward to the second year of the AI Fluency initiative. About 50 new courses are available or in development and 60 faculty fellows will be embedded across campus to support the program.

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