UC Merced welcomed its 2,400 new students Tuesday as only UC Merced can, with a joyful and colorful ceremony crossing the Scholars Bridge that symbolized their transformation into Bobcats at the San Joaquin Valley’s only research university.
Hundreds of these freshmen and transfer students gathered in yellow T-shirts on the lawn next to the Pavilion cafeteria to prepare for the crossing.
“I don’t know of any other school that offers something like this,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz told them. “Take pictures, take selfies, and years from now you will look back and remember the morning you crossed the bridge and began your academic career at UC Merced.”
Muñoz, along with Vice Chancellor and Provost Betsy Dumont and the deans of the university’s three schools, led the students up Scholars Lane and across the bridge that spans the Fairfield Canal. Along the way, numerous well-wishers cheered and waved signs expressing support from current students, staff and faculty across campus.
Across the bridge, three members of the Korie family watched with smiles as the parade of new Cats approached. On Sunday, they came with new student Chimka Korie from their home in Santa Clarita and helped him move into a dorm.
“Our son is very creative. He is a thinker. We wanted a school that would nurture him,” said Chimka’s mother Ijendu, who watched with her husband Theophane and their younger daughter Ije. “So a school that can be a family. A smaller school, a newer school. We are also passionate about research so that his ideas get attention.”
Across the bridge, Jeffery Winters held up a sign that read, “Yay. Bobcats. Yay.” Winters is entering his fourth year at UC Merced after transferring from Fresno City College. He works as a student systems administrator in the Information Technology office.
“I didn’t want to be too far from home,” said Winters, who lives in Fresno. “I looked at several UCs and was very impressed with UC Merced.”
After crossing the bridge, the new students completed the tradition begun in 2005 by walking through the arches of the Beginnings sculpture on Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Quad.
The university community celebrated its new students with the Pawrade, a procession of 32 decorated floats representing various offices, departments and divisions. After a noisy ride across the bridge, the floats were parked around the courtyard for students to admire and vote for their favorite.
A few feet from the parked carts, Anthony Baca sat on a step outside the Science and Engineering 2 building. Baca will commute from his home in Ceres. He is older than most freshmen and served five years in the Navy right out of high school. He served on the USS Green Bay, a ship that serves as a floating dock for amphibious landing craft.
Baca was an electrician in Green Bay. He plans to study electrical engineering.
“When I was in the Navy, I thought about coming here,” he said.
Another freshman, Colin Dennis, comes from Castro Valley. He also wants to study electrical engineering.
“I like how diverse the community is and the opportunities UC Merced offers students,” Dennis said. “And I just like how quiet the campus is. It’s really relaxed.”
In another part of campus, two new freshmen, Griselda Martinez and Hugo Rivera, strolled hand in hand across campus. Both are from Cutler-Orosi, a small community on the agricultural east side of Fresno County. Both are interested in studying civil engineering.
As others said Tuesday, UC Merced’s manageable size and fresh look were attractive.
As Martinez said, “It’s really sweet.”
