On a sunny afternoon with a touch of fall in the breeze, members of the Brown community celebrated more than 3,200 of its newest students and the start of the University’s 261st academic year at Opening Convocation, held on Tuesday, Sept. 3, on the College Green. Thousands of incoming undergraduate, graduate, medical and transfer students joyfully streamed onto campus through the Van Wickle Gates as they marked a time-honored tradition at Brown. “No one ever forgets the excitement of the beginning of college, or graduate school or medical school,” Brown President Christina H. Paxson said to students from the steps of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center. “I can guarantee you that 10, 20 and even 50 years from now, you will remember these days, and that some of your dearest friends will be people you’ve just met here on the Brown campus.” Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, gave the ceremony’s keynote address. “You just walked through Van Wick...