Iota Phi Theta brothers Chika Ogbo, Marc Joseph and Diderot Jean-Philippe wow the crowd with their rendition of “The Potion,” a fraternity stroll. On stage, from left to right, are Theo Goofenough, Michael Metzger, Chancellor Motley, and Iota Phi Theta Chi Chapter president Michael Fitzpatrick

A Student Welcome Ceremony for the incoming Chancellor, J. Keith Motley, was held in the third-floor Campus Center ballroom last Thursday, November 8th. The ceremony was meant as a way for the students of UMass Boston to celebrate his inauguration as the University’s eighth chancellor which took place the next day.

Nearly 200 students and faculty attended the event and were greeted by Theater Arts major Brittany Quinn who serenaded the soon to be chancellor with a version of Mariah Carey’s hit song “Hero.”

The event was MCed by Student Arts and Events Council Coordinator Michael Metzger who also offered up the opening remarks for the day.

President of the Undergraduate Student Senate, Juana Matias, and Graduate Student Assembly President, David Nieto, both gave speeches welcoming the chancellor to the university.

After a few remarks from special guest, Richard Harris, a former student of Motley’s who now serves as Director of Multicultural Engineering at Northeastern University, Lux Editor Anna Tsui introduced four students who were meant to present Chancellor Motley with a set of challenges to be met during his time at UMB.

The challenges were from Christia Panizales, head of the Umass Boston chapter of Lambda Alpha Archeology Honors Society, who spoke on “Excellence in the Educational Experience,” Sarah Ahmad, President of the Muslim Students Association, who spoke on “Campus Life,” Amanda Huff, News Editor of The Mass Media, who spoke on “Access and Affordability,” and Ben Whelan, Mass Media staff writer and food connoisseur, who spoke on “Student Diversity and the Urban Mission.”

Motley was introduced by the President of the UMass Chapter of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Michael Fitzpatrick, of which Motley himself is a member.

As a special welcome the Iota Phi Theta brother’s performed a version of the fraternity’s dance called “Strolling.” First the performed an exaggerated version of “The Moses,” the dance Motley would’ve done in his days as a centaur, followed by the more modern version “The Potion.”

The Ceremony was ended with remarks reminding the chancellor of university’s urban mission from Student Tustee Alex Kulenovic. Coordinator of the disabilities Student Center, Theo Gooodenough, closed out the afternoon with some remarks.