Lehigh Welcomes Incoming Students at 2022 University Convocation

Lehigh officially marked the start of the 2022-2023 academic year Friday morning with a University Convocation at Grace Hall. Danielle Lindemann, associate professor of sociology, delivered the keynote address, reflecting on the first-year experience theme, “Crafting our Community with Care,” and relaying what professors want students to know as they begin college.

In thinking about what community at Lehigh means to her, she said, “The salient thing that came to my mind is that it’s not just a place where I kind of sit and exist and happen to be. It’s a place where I’m actively contributing, and I get something in return. … It is a living, breathing thing, which is to say it's a thing that needs to be cultivated, nourished and tended to.”

She said she recognized that it can be difficult—since she has had trouble keeping cacti alive, she joked–but said it’s crucial.

Realizing she had a unique opportunity to address students, Lindemann said she turned to Facebook “because we’re old and we still use Facebook,” to poll other professors on what they would like their first-year students to know. Lindemann said she received many responses, but narrowed the list to seven tips, many of which were suggestions she would give herself.

And every item on the list, she said, involved the students actively participating in Lehigh’s community.

Lindemann advised students to take advantage of office hours and use the resources available at Lehigh, such as Counseling and Psychological Services, academic coaching from the Office of Academic Transitions and peer tutoring at The Center for Academic Success.

Thirdly, she said, professors learn from their students. She joked she wasn’t only talking about understanding slang terms such as “yeet” and “GOATed.”

“I don’t mean that you know more than I do about sociology—hopefully you don’t,” Lindemann said. “But at the same time, maybe you have a slightly different perspective to offer or maybe you’re going to ask me a question nobody has actually posed before. Because being in college is not just about being a receptacle for information. College, so much more so than high school, is an exchange of ideas. This is the symbiotic relationship we have as part of the community at Lehigh. Make sure you lean into that.”

Lindemann also asked students to actively manage their time and be open to bends in the path. She said she thought she knew what she wanted when she attended college, planning on majoring in English and writing novels. She did graduate with an English degree, she said, but discovered she loved sociology along the way.

“The great thing about a liberal arts education at a place like Lehigh, much like the university where I went [Princeton University], is you have the space to do that kind of exploration,” Lindemann said.

Respect was sixth on her list, telling those in attendance to be kind to each other, their professors and the university staff. Lindemann reminded students that professors are people too. Using herself as an example, she said she has kids and a favorite Kardashian.

Lindemann’s final advice was that the students belong at Lehigh. She said they were admitted for a reason, assuring them the admissions office is “pretty thorough,” but also informed students it doesn’t mean they won’t face any adversity.

“That doesn’t mean that you’ll never have a rough patch,” Lindemann said. “It doesn’t mean you’ll never get a bad grade. You might. But all of us here up on this stage, including myself, I can guarantee you, have a bunch of failures in our rearview mirrors. The key is what you do about that. Pick yourself up. Go to office hours. Use the academic resources that are available. Use counseling services if you need them. Ask for help.”

President Joseph J. Helble ’82 and Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds also addressed Lehigh’s incoming class.

Helble told students that when he first arrived at Lehigh as an undergraduate student, not much was settled. He said he had yet to decide on a major, had never lived on his own, wasn’t sure he’d be able to manage the time commitment of intercollegiate sports and never thought about independent research.

“So my emphatic advice to each and every one of you is, if you don’t have it all figured out yet, don’t worry,” Helble said.

Something he said he didn’t fully appreciate when he first arrived was the “strength and beauty of this incredible Lehigh community.”

He never realized some of the people he was meeting would become lifelong friends or that conversations with professors would lead to graduate school, a career and returning to Lehigh. Helble said some of those conversations also helped him “explore beyond the usual academic boundaries.” This past year, his first back at Lehigh as president, Helble said he asked students about their friendships and interactions with faculty and staff.

“I found that each and every one of them had a unique story,” Helble said. “These students learned things about themselves by being open to possibility, by being willing to try new things and by pushing themselves outside their comfort zones academically and personally. It happened for them, it happened for me so many years ago. And I am confident that it will happen for you during your time here.”

Helble asked students to engage in open, honest and respectful discussion and reminded them that they’re going to meet people who have had different life experiences. They’re allowed to disagree, he said, as long as they respect others’ point of view. He also said in meeting new people, it will push many out of their comfort zones, but it’s worth it.

“There is great value in taking that step and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone,” Helble said. “You will do it now, especially while you're new. You put yourself out there because you want to be part of something, you want to connect. Hold on to that feeling. Don't let it go. Once you've met a few people and you're starting to enter the sophomore year or the second semester of your first year, you're starting to feel comfortable. Because while we all have a core group of friends that will develop, this campus and community offers so much more to all of us who are willing to ask, to listen, to be fundamentally curious.”

Prior to introducing Reynolds, Helble encouraged students to interact with their new home: South Bethlehem. He suggested they patronize local businesses, participate in community service and volunteer in the city’s schools.

Reynolds, who was raised in Bethlehem and whose late father graduated from Lehigh, welcomed the students to the city and noted that the city continues to change for the better. He said even if their parents or grandparents went to Lehigh, Bethlehem is not the same city they experienced and added that the city was just listed as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America.

“I know this is a nervous time,” Reynolds said. “I think one of the most difficult times in my own life was those first couple of weeks I spent at college when you walk away from that world you've always known, your friends you've always known and I'm telling you it's [going] to be okay. … This is an amazing time. You might not feel like it yet, but it is.”

Provost Nathan Urban told students “you belong here.” He reminded them that the university’s leaders on stage, along with everyone across campus and South Bethlehem, are committed to their success.

“The remarkable thing about being at a great university is that your success is our success,” Urban said.

Urban listed a number of alumni as examples, including Scott Willoughby ’89, who helped lead the design and construction of the James Webb Space Telescope working at Northrop Grumman; Cathy Engelbert ’86 ’23P, a former CEO at Deloitte and currently the commissioner of the WNBA; and Richard Verma ’90, the former U.S. Ambassador to India prior to becoming an executive vice president at MasterCard.

“So when one of you, a member of the Class of 2026, founds a company, sells their startup company, or when a member of the class designs a new system for efficiently capturing clean energy from the power of tides, that would be a success for that student and faculty who mentored her, but also a success for the university and for the planet,” Urban said. “The power of having your goals and the university’s goals aligned in this way cannot be underestimated.”

The program began with an invocation from University Chaplain Lloyd Steffen, professor of religion studies; and a welcome from Ric Hall, vice president for Student Affairs. Rabbi Steven P. Nathan, director of Jewish Student Life and associate chaplain, offered the Benediction. The Lehigh University Choir, directed by Steven Sametz, the Ronald J. Ulrich Chair of Music, and Mainstreet Brass, a brass quintet, performed.