Interfraternity Council executive officers and 1,545 potential new members gathered in the
Pavilion Aug. 25 for the annual convocation that officially began UM’s fraternity recruitment.
The convocation featured speeches from Gov. Tate Reeves and Chancellor Glenn Boyce.
“This year will be the largest fraternity recruitment class in school history,” IFC President
Ashton Heath said. “Last year was the second largest class to go through with 1,330.”
Convocation began with a video in which active members shared how their fraternities impacted
their lives.
The video was followed by a speech from Boyce, who expressed pride for what fraternities bring
to the UM campus and the leadership aspect of being a fraternity man, according to Heath.
Gov. Tate Reeves began his speech by expressing his passion for the state of Mississippi.
“Mississippi is a special place,” he said.
The state has improved in various industries in recent years, he said.
Reeves also said decisions made in college can later affect students’ lives. He emphasized that
potential new members should choose a chapter based on whether it will help them grow into the
best man they can be.
Reeves closed his speech with a piece of advice for students.
“Commit yourself tonight to making this place just a little bit better when you leave here than it
was when you found it,” Reeves said.
With nerves about the week to follow growing, some freshmen found comfort in Reeves’ speech.
“I think (the speech) is relevant because a lot of people are really nervous for this upcoming
week and this can help as motivation,” freshman general business major Jonathan Deering said. “One major takeaway for me was knowing that I have a place here, not only at the university but
also within IFC.”
