With great anticipation, Grinnell eagerly welcomed students from all around the country and the world back to campus from Aug. 14 through the first day of fall classes on Aug. 24. As the campus buzzed with renewed energy, the air was filled with a sense of shared excitement, signaling the beginning of a new academic year.
“You are now in a place where your relationships, your ideas, your actions, and your commitments will gather to all shape – and reshape – this institution; this multicultural, multi-racial, interconnected community in perpetual formation and striving,” said President Anne F. Harris during a welcome ceremony for the class of 2027.
The familiar hum of eager conversations and the laughter of old friends reuniting blended harmoniously with the cadence of fresh voices, painting a vivid picture of a community where journeys converge, united by the pursuit of knowledge and a world of perspectives. This marked the point where stories intertwined, as the campus came alive with the promise of new adventures and growth.
During Grinnell Science Project pre-orientation Niel Pearson ’27 (left), Echo Fineberg ’27, Ngoc Ta ’27, and Lochi Pratapaneni ’27 succeed in getting the right combinations to open five padlocks on a locked box following a scavenger hunt through the Noyce Science Center.
Students participating in the International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) pose in front of a mural on the side of the McNally’s Foods building in downtown Grinnell. The mural symbolizes Grinnell’s global connections.
Clad in yellow shirts, Grinnell College faculty and staff members lend a hand to first-year students and their parents during residence hall move-in.
Clare Barber ’27, right, and her roommate unpack in their Reed Hall room.
New students and their parents gather in Darby Gymnasium for the welcome ceremony after move in.
President Anne F. Harris greets a first-year student during the Aug. 17 welcome ceremony when members of the class of 2027 receive silver medallions to commemorate James J. Hill’s first gift to Grinnell in 1846.
Dean Beronda Montgomery addresses the class of 2027 at the welcome ceremony. “Embrace opportunities to learn in and out of the classroom and formal learning spaces. You will encounter many opportunities to grow – to grow as a learner, yes; but also there will be ample opportunities to grow as a person and as a member of a community.” She adds, “Although in four years, you’ll stand on stage and accept a diploma as an individual, the process to get there will not be one you complete alone. The path to graduation success and beyond is a collaborative journey. To get the most from this journey, you’ll need to gather and cultivate a network of supporters and accountability partners – on and off campus.”
Parents and loved ones say farewell to their students after the welcome ceremony.
New Student Orientation (NSO) is a time for new students to begin building relationships, so it’s nothing students want to cut short. A Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament was one of numerous fun NSO activities.
Students walk in front of the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC) on a very hot Iowa day on Thursday, Aug. 24, as they head to their first classes of the fall semester.
Students in Professor Todd Armstrong’s Food Stories First-Year Tutorial get right to work in the Marcus Family Global Kitchen.
“It’s my last first day,” says Kenn Anderson ’24, a political science and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies double major. “To grace my last first day means resilience, strength, and courage. I will be a first-generation college graduate, and this journey has been long, to say the least. These pictures are so important because they show me executing strength and perseverance and happiness. I’m so happy to have made it this far and I am so proud of how far I’ve come.”
Niel Pearson ’27, left, and Jake Bell ’27 get to know math Professor Chris French.
Students celebrated at the Campus Festival on Sunday, Aug. 27, in Kingston Plaza. The event was hosted by Student Involvement and included rock-climbing wall, pirate ship, balloon art, basketball shootout!
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