In a break with tradition—or, more appropriately, a start to a new tradition—Cornell College will hold its annual New Student Convocation outside, in the quad surrounded by South, Norton and College halls. The event welcomes the class of 2014 into the Cornell family and gives parents a chance to see an academic procession with faculty and hear brief messages from the president, dean, and chaplain. The convocation had been held in King Chapel, but the new location serves to highlight both the beauty and history of Cornell’s campus. Students will process down the pedestrian mall from Allee Chapel to College Hall, passing through the ranks of the faculty and staff, who will welcome them and wish them good luck. The speakers will stand on the steps of College Hall, the second-oldest building on campus. Built in 1857, four years after the founding of the Iowa Conference Seminary, College Hall transformed the institution into a college, and in the process the name Cornell College was adopted.
Students did much of the work to construct this Federal-style building. The cupola held the original college bell, which was replaced in 1977 with one from King Chapel. The bell will be rung after the convocation.
At one time or another, nearly every academic department has been housed in College Hall, and it’s also served as home to the library, the chapel and even an armory.
The Cornell Class of 2014 is the most diverse in Cornell history; 23 percent of the class are students of color. The class represents 41 states and eight foreign countries, with just 16 percent from Iowa. Of the 388 new students, 32 percent rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and 75 hold a GPA of 4.0 or higher.