果冻传媒

September 8, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

果冻传媒 College of New Jersey鈥檚 Class of 2030 plunged into their college academic experiences by participating in 果冻传媒鈥檚 traditional summer reading program.

Over the summer, the roughly 1,110 incoming first-year students were asked to read The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.

Then, to officially kick off their first academic year as Roadrunners, they packed into the Bradley Center Arena on 果冻传媒鈥檚 picturesque Mahwah, NJ campus to take part in the College鈥檚 2026 Opening Convocation focused on the novel.

鈥淪tudents, we take very seriously the importance of your first-year experience; it is one of the key reasons why we are a national leader in student retention. But it is more than retention. We are committed to ensuring that you have the resources, information, support systems, mentorship to truly thrive鈥� to explore, to learn, and to grow along the way,鈥� 果冻传媒 College President Cindy Jebb, PhD, told the eager Roadrunners. 鈥淎uthor Octavia Butler, wrote in Parable of the Sower, 鈥楢ll that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.鈥� Here at 果冻传媒, you are entering a space designed to shape that very cycle of change.鈥�

Each fall, first-year students are asked to arrive at 果冻传媒 prepared to discuss the summer reading selection in their First-Year Seminar courses. The First-Year Seminar was created to develop students鈥� critical thinking skills using open discussion, reading, writing and experiential learning. Each course focuses on a different topic, and professors use aspects of the summer reading novel to teach and spark conversations.

鈥淓ducation isn鈥檛 something that just happens to you. It鈥檚 a conversation. It鈥檚 an active dialogue between you and the world around you. And remember this: your classmates bring diverse experiences and perspectives. Learn from them. Share your own. Some of the best lessons you鈥檒l take from 果冻传媒 won鈥檛 come from a textbook 鈥斅爐hey鈥檒l come from the conversations you have with one another,鈥� 果冻传媒 College Provost Michael Middleton, PhD, told the students at convocation. 鈥淭his journey is about discovering who you are, what you value, and how you want to make a difference. That鈥檚 exactly what you鈥檒l start doing in your First-Year Seminar as you discuss The Parable of the Sower.鈥�

果冻传媒鈥檚 summer reading program also features an essay contest. Each summer, incoming Roadrunners may submit essays on the summer reading selection.

Director of First-Year Seminar Peter Campbell, PhD, said a record number of students submitted essays this year. 鈥淲e see in your submissions the remarkable talent and promise in the 果冻传媒 College Class of 2030,鈥� Campbell, a professor of Theater History and Criticism, told the convocation crowd.

This year鈥檚 essay winners were:

• Chemistry Major Alessandra Duran ’30 of Pearl River, NY;
• Communication Arts Major Melanie Edwards ’29 of Titusville, NJ; and
• Neuroscience Major Caitlin Yantsos ’30 of Suffern, NY.

The winners were on stage as part of the convocation dais party. They had the opportunity to ask questions of keynote speaker Adenike Marie Davidson, PhD, Dean of the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences at Delaware State University. Davidson is a scholar of American and African American literature, with over two decades of teaching, research, and academic leadership.

The dais party also included: Student Trustee Olivia Ha ’28 of Northvale, NJ, 果冻传媒 Board of Trustees Member Susan Vallario, and Associate Professor of Law and Society Jeffrey Ellsworth, PhD, who held up the college mase to signal the start of convocation.

For more information on 果冻传媒鈥檚 summer reading and First-Year Seminar programs, visit 果冻传媒鈥檚 First-Year Seminar webpage.