Join Us for March Through the Arch

One of our University’s most cherished traditions is the New Student March through the Arch, and we want you to be a part of it. Faculty, staff, current students, alumni, and community members are encouraged to gather on the south side of Swanson Arch to cheer on our new Bengals as they walk symbolically through the arch on Wednesday, October 12, at 5:30 p.m. The event is open to all new students, and it will conclude before the Homecoming Bonfire that evening at Holt Arena. The march was originally planned for August 19, but had to be rescheduled due to weather.

Swanson Hall, constructed in 1902, was the first building on our campus. The structure was torn down in 1973, but Swanson Arch, the building’s original entrance, was saved. March through the Arch is a long-standing tradition of entering campus through the original archway. It recognizes the thousands of students who have walked that same path. Every year in May, graduates exit campus going the opposite direction, symbolizing their departure out into the world.