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Fall Convocation is a celebration commemorating the beginning of the academic school year. Convocation provides an exciting opportunity to recognize the achievements of the entering class and to encourage all students to commit themselves to being engaged learners during their time at Salisbury University. The guest speaker is Jennifer Thompson, subject and co-author of the 2011 Freshman Reader selection Picking Cotton. In the event of rain, Fall Convocation will be held in Maggs Physical Activities Center.
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Fall
Convocation| Please Note: | Attendance at convocation is mandatory for all freshman students except those whose regularly schedule classes conflict. Freshman students should be seated no later than 3:30 p.m. |
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About the Convocation Speaker:
Please note:
Jennifer Thompson was
raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while
she slept. She was able to escape, and eventually positively
identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that
she was mistaken-- but Jennifer's positive identification was
the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven
years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his
innocence. He was released, after serving more than a decade in
prison for a crime he never committed. Two years later, Jennifer
and Ronald met face to face-- and forged an unlikely friendship
that changed both of their lives.
Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, a native North Carolinian and mother of teenage triplets, has become an outspoken opponent on the death penalty and speaks frequently about the need for judicial reform. She is a member of the Actual Innocence Commission, advisory committee for Active Voices, member of the Constitution Project and Mother's for Justice.
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