First-year students get taste of ASU traditions at 2024 Sun Devil Welcome
Students cheer at the start of the 2024 Sun Devil Welcome for first-year students at Mountain America Stadium on Aug. 20. Photo by Aron Sher/Arizona State University
Arizona State University welcomed first-year students with music, dancing and fireworks on Tuesday night — plus a plea to get involved in their new community.
Clad in gold T-shirts for the annual Sun Devil Welcome pep rally, thousands of students poured in from the Tempe, Polytechnic, Downtown Phoenix and West Valley campuses and filled nearly half of Mountain America Stadium, where they learned the fight song.
This year, ASU welcomed 17,000 first-year students for the fall semester — representing all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and 86 countries.
The pep rally combined a performance from the Sun Devil Marching Band with lessons about ASU traditions, like Echo from the Buttes, and spirit-pumping videos, including Stomp the Bus.
During the “roll call,” the new Sun Devils screamed and waved glow sticks and giant foam hands as their college was called out.
The rally showcased the diversity on campus, with performances by Andaaz, a Bollywood dance team; ANZA Dance, an Asian American dance team; and from members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, also known as the “Divine Nine,” the coordinating body for the historically African American fraternities and sororities at ASU.
Seanika Mathis, student body president for the Downtown Phoenix campus, told the crowd of new students: “You’re in for an incredible journey. I remember sitting in those seats my freshman year before I could fathom all that ASU had to offer.
“Just know that whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone,” said Mathis, who’s majoring in criminology and criminal justice.
“I’ve felt a million different emotions during my journey at ASU, but they’ve made for the most incredible college story line.”
Mathis said that connecting with her community keeps her grounded.
“You should look into all the clubs and organizations that ASU has to offer, but there are so many ways to find your people.
“Whether you’re connecting with your campus community, your fellow online community, your cultural community or your residence hall, there’s a space here for everyone.”
Mathis also urged the students to register to vote.
“Your voice matters. It matters not only in the Sun Devil community, but at a local and national level as well,” she said.
ASU President Michael Crow showed the crowd a photo of himself as a 17-year-old, first-year student at Iowa State University in 1973 and told the students about the ASU Charter, “so you can see what drives us.”
On the university’s commitment to inclusion, he said: “All of you come from every family background, every part of the country, every part of the world, every family income, every religion, every ethnicity — we bring all of you here.”
He urged the students to ask for help if they need it.
“If you run into problems — financial problems, emotional problems, psychological problems, academic problems — raise your hand and someone at the university will help you,” he said, adding that they could email him directly at michael.crow@asu.edu.
Lucas Lyum, a first-year student on the Tempe campus, said that the Sun Devil Welcome inspired him to become active in his major of music education.
“I think it’s been such a good experience for the freshmen,” he said as fireworks lit the sky around him.
After the fireworks display ended the Sun Devil Welcome, students of all years were treated to a concert by rap singer Flo Milli, who performed at the annual InfernoFest.
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