NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will hold an in-person Convocation ceremony for first-year students at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 31, at the Amsler Campus Center Gym.  

 

Students and guests at Convocation will follow current COVID-19 public health protocols as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, including mask-wearing and social distancing.  

 

"I'm so excited to welcome the Class of 2025 to campus, and to come together for Convocation in person this year," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "Convocation is one of our favorite traditions here, and it will be wonderful to clap and cheer for this class of resilient Trailblazers as they walk through the gates." 

 

Convocation is a traditional event that officially welcomes MCLA's first-year students into the campus community. Students will line up to walk through the College's iconic gates for the first time, followed by lunch and a speech from Lucas McDiarmid '15, who serves as district director to State Senator Anne M. Gobi, in the Commonwealth's Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex District.  

 

Lucas McDiarmid is a 2015 graduate of MCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy. In 2019, He obtained a master's degree in Public Administration from Norwich University. He has worked on various political campaigns, served as an administrator with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, worked to promote corporate social responsibility and combat human trafficking with the global nonprofit Verite Inc., and later worked as the development coordinator at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, helping to create a $1 million net annual fundraising event. 

 

 As a senior aide for Sen. Gobi, he manages intergovernmental affairs and grant support, manages the Senator's portfolio as Senate Chair of the Special Legislative Commission on Agriculture, and works to provide constituent services. During the COVID-19 outbreak, McDiarmid managed the Senator's response to the pandemic, including working to support local first responders and healthcare workers, requisitioning needed PPE and medical supplies.