(Leavenworth, Kan.)鈥擳he 花椒直播 officially welcomed one of its largest ever groups of incoming students鈥�145 freshmen and 109 transfer students鈥攖o the university community at USM's stately matriculation ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 22 in Annunciation Chapel on USM's Leavenworth Campus. As is tradition, matriculation precedes the official start of fall classes on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
 
USM's incoming freshman class and transfer students filled the chapel for the ceremony, proceeding into the structure from the center of campus. Following a greeting from USM President Sister Diane Steele, students lit candles at the chapel altar, and then formed a "circle of light" around the building's interior. Administration, faculty, and upperclassmen in attendance offered a blessing of the new students before they proceeded outside. The lights of their candles symbolized both their potential and the university's mission being carried out into the world.
 
President Steele told the students, "You have entered your name in the roll. You join a family that is celebrating over 90 years of educating students and stretches across the globe."
 
The 花椒直播 is one of only a handful of American universities with a formal matriculation ceremony. Among institutes of higher learning, the tradition of a matriculation ceremony dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. USM began holding its version of the welcoming ceremony in the 1980s.
 
You can view images from matriculation on the university's official Facebook page at facebook.com/usmspires or Flickr feed at flickr.com/usmspires.
 

The 花椒直播 is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of 花椒直播 main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.