Today is FDOC, the first day of class for UNC students as the fall semester begins in Chapel Hill.
On Monday, new students will line up for that traditional sip at the Old Well. Sunday, they were in the Smith Center for the annual new student convocation, where they heard from UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz.
“My goal is that you will always be proud to take that photo in front of the Old Well,” said Guskiewicz on Sunday. “It’s a magical place, and I hope that you come to love it as much as I do. You’ve earned your place here, and I know you’re going to love your time here. So let’s get out and see what you can do.”
Students at the convocation also heard from a recent alum: women’s lacrosse star Katie Hoeg, now a UNC dentistry student, who gave this year’s convocation address.
“If you embrace your gifts, be courageous, positively impact those around you, be better than who you were yesterday, and do it all with gratitude,” Hoeg said, “you will not only exist through college – you will flourish.”
FDOC is not just a big day for students and the university – it’s also a big day for the town of Chapel Hill, which always has a different energy when school’s in session.
“There’s a lot of fun traditions, and there’s a lot more exuberance, when the students come back,” said Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger. “There’s also a lot more people wandering around trying to find things, so we encourage locals to be patient and help provide directional assistance when needed – but we’re excited, we love having our students come back, and we love the energy that it brings.”
This year’s incoming class includes 4,455 first-year students and 939 transfer students, representing 95 North Carolina counties, 48 states, and 85 countries around the world. Nearly one in five will be the first in their families to earn a four-year degree.
Feature photo via UNC.
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