The wafting scent of pizza, music from Shocker Sound and cheers from students filled Charles Koch Arena on Tuesday morning.

The annual fall Convocation drew more than 4,500 students, faculty, staff and alumni. Student Body President Joseph Shepard pumped up the crowd with his opening words.

While university President John Bardo delivered a speech to those in attendance, 1,000 pizzas were delivered to the arena. Five Papa John’s Pizza stores were contracted to help prepare the pies.

“We woke up [at] about 6 in the morning,” said Jayson James, a spokesman for Papa John’s. “We had to make 1,000 pizzas, about 200 pizzas per store.”

James said the greatest difficulty they had was making sure all the locations delivered on time.

“Trying to get all of the drivers up here at the same time, especially since some of our stores came from Andover and [some from] Pawnee and Seneca,” James said. “They had to leave at different times.”

For some students, free pizza and T-shirts are highlights of Convocation each year. 

“[Convocation] was very impressive,” said Malcolm Lynch, a junior studying computer science. “I’m ready to get some pizza. I might take a whole box.”

Students filed through the halls of Koch Arena to make it to the T-shirt tables. Volunteers and staff members stood behind the tables and exchanged tickets for free shirts.

“I’ve handed out T-shirts ever since we’ve had convocation,” said Dot McNicol of Campus Ministries. “You get to see so many students. I’ve been here 50 years, so I’ve really enjoyed it.”

It was sophomore Jacob Archer’s second time at Convocation. He said the free T-shirt keeps him coming back.

“But it’s always nice,” he said. “[Those at Convocation] have great school spirit.”