Before the latest crop of around 600 fresh Cobbers processed into Memorial Auditorium to celebrate the official start of Å·ÃÀÊÓƵ’s 135th academic year on Aug. 27, a smaller group gathered on the sidewalk outside before the convocation, waiting to greet them.

Wearing the brightly colored robes, oddly shaped hats, and stoles that fell out of fashion centuries ago — their formal academic regalia — the college’s faculty and staff cheered for their newest students for the first time.

While students will likely see the regalia again only at further convocations and Commencement ceremonies, the Concordia community will be cheering for them for the next four years — and a long time afterward, too.

Rachel Huynh ’27, president of the Student Government Association, emphasized exactly that in her greeting to the first-year Cobbers.

“You have a community and support system around you,” she said, adding a quote from a friend: “You don’t have to do it alone.”

In her welcome to the new students, Dr. Susan Larson, provost and dean of the college, explained that the word “convocation” itself comes from the Latin word “convocare,” meaning “to call together.” A convocation is a formal ceremony welcoming new students to the college, while also providing an opportunity for returning students to reconnect with the larger college community.

“I am thrilled to be able to call you together and celebrate the matriculation of new students into the college,” she said.

Speaker Dr. Leigh Wakefield, professor of clarinet and woodwind methods, carried the theme forward, calling the convocation itself an example of what makes Concordia a great place.

“We are a learning community where hearts and minds come together to shape our collective dreams for the future,” he said. “While our roles may be different, we all share the same passion, discovery, and purpose: learning is at the center of all we do, and building new connections is at the core of this college.”

He encouraged students to be present, be engaged, seek out new opportunities, embrace learning, and stay focused.

Dr. Colin Irvine, president of Concordia, invited students to be open during their time at the college, both to a sense of peace, acceptance, and calm, and also to a sense of stirring in the heart — unexpected and inexplicable joy.

“Second, I want to encourage you to ask and seek answers to questions during your time at Concordia,” Irvine said. “I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘You are what you eat.’ I would suggest you are what you wonder.”

Many academic disciplines and departments are organized based on the types of questions they ask about the world, yet everything students learn will require finding answers in multiple areas of study, Irvine said.

“I hope you come with questions. This is why we’re here — not to get answers but to ask questions. If you leave this year, this place with more questions than answers, then we served you well, and you served yourself well,” Irvine said.

After the president’s call to engagement, The Concordia Band led the crowd in “Hymn to Concordia,” faculty recessed to Edvard Grieg’s “Huldigungsmarsch,” and the official Cobber class of 2029 headed to Olin Hill for the traditional beanie toss.