More than 4,000 students, faculty, alumni and fans crowded into Koch Arena Tuesday to attend the 13th annual Convocation at Wichita State. 

Many familiar faces appeared at the podium during the event. President John Bardo was one of the first to speak, firing students up with Shocker pride and sharing a little background about his history at WSU.

“This is a great city, a great university, with a tremendously bright future, and all of you have chosen to be part of it and together we are going to make that future,” Bardo said. “We’re excited to be back here, we are excited to be part of it and it really does feel so good to say, ‘Go Shocks!’” 

Several student athletes came forward to speak on behalf of their prospective sports’ teams, including Tekele Cotton of the men’s basketball team, Jazimen Gordon of the women’s basketball team, and Jackie Church of the volleyball team. 

One of the main features of the event was a highlight on the School of Health Professions. Dr. Trisha Self, a three-time graduate and a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2010 from WSU, showcased many of the majors offered and discussed what a career in health services could do.

A graduate of the class of 2000, Nathan Houseman was also in attendance. He shared his journey at WSU, explaining the many different jobs he held, including one as a soldier deployed to Iraq, before returning to WSU to pursue a degree in physical therapy. 

Other notable moments included a performance by the WSU cheerleaders, dance team and the announcement of the winner of the banner competition  —The School of Nursing. 

The event was wrapped up with a free lunch, which included pizza and ice cream, as well as a T-shirt giveaway to all those in attendance. 

“It was a lot of fun,” freshman Sarah Vinson said. “The atmosphere was great and it was really cool having the chance to see the president and hear about all the different things going on. I can’t wait to do it again next year.”