On Tuesday afternoon, the University’s 263rd Opening Convocation welcomed new students through the Van Wickle Gates. As students walked to their seats, the sounds of bagpipes, University Hall’s bell and cheers rang through the Main Green, combined with the droning of a plane that repeatedly flew in circles above.
The plane, which continued circling overhead throughout the procession and ceremony, towed an Israeli flag, an American flag and a banner that read “Brown 4 Israel.”
The Convocation ceremony welcomed the incoming classes to Brown, which include 143 medical students, 1,303 masters and doctoral students, 10 resumed undergraduate education scholars, 91 transfer students and 1,724 first-years.
This year’s convocation was not the first time a pro-Israel demonstration of its kind has occurred during a University ceremony. In 2024, the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel flew an identical aerial banner around campus during the University’s commencement ceremonies to counter the pro-Palestinian activism that was prominent at the time.
In a message to The Herald, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel confirmed that the coalition organized the plane’s presence, writing that some alumni contributed donations to support the flying of the banner.
They added that this is the fourth time the coalition has organized this demonstration at Brown ceremonies, although the first three times were during commencement ceremonies rather than convocation.
A leader of Brown Students for Israel confirmed that the group had no involvement in flying the plane.
Gavin Tieken-Zidel ’29, a Jewish transfer student, said that he “was not a fan” of the presence of the plane’s message at this year’s Convocation. Tieken-Zidel said that he sees “a lot of pro-Israel sentiments being conflated for pro-Jewish sentiments,” as well as anti-Zionism being conflated as antisemitism.
“As a Jew, it’s disturbing to see,” he said.
Benjamin Stern ’27 arrived at Convocation excited to support the first-years he has been working with as a Bruno Leader. But as the plane flew overhead, he worried that the plane’s presence would distract from the event and bring up “some really difficult emotions” for the students walking through the gates.
“I don’t want them to feel unsafe coming here. I don’t want them to feel like this is a norm,” he added.
He said he thinks the plane’s presence was “a little disgusting” and “a hurtful thing to see when tens of thousands of people have died.”
But he said that he believed the students would be able to enjoy the tradition and ceremony regardless of the plane’s presence. “I love this city. I love this community,” he said. “I don’t think we have to let what’s above us control our experience at Convocation.”
Naomi Stoll ’30 said she supports Israel but thought that the plane’s presence was “quite annoying.”
“I think that building support for Israel at Brown is a great thing to do,” she said. “I don’t know if flying the plane around Convocation was the best way to do that.”
“Our work in collaboration with many Brown alumni and students is a way to show these students support when it seems so many on campus are against them or view their Jewish or Zionist identity as problematic,” a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel wrote.
They added that the plane carried an American flag in addition to an Israeli flag because it is “important to show that Israel is so similar to America in many ways and their close relationship is a benefit to all of humanity.”
Reverend Delphain Demosthenes, associate University chaplain for the Protestant community, began the ceremony by reading the University’s land acknowledgement statement and leading an invocation, which was followed by speeches from President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 and James Kellner, associate provost of corporate engagement and professor of ecology, evolution, organismal biology and of environment and society.
In Paxson’s opening remarks, she said that the day was “bittersweet,” as it was the last time she will welcome a new class to Brown as University president. In August, Paxon shared that she will be stepping down from her role as president following the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
In her speech, Paxson drew from the first Convocation speech she gave in 2012, which focused on constructive irreverence. “Constructive irreverence means approaching your learning with open minds and open hearts” and “questioning everything,” she said. She said that these qualities are especially important today amid the rise of artificial intelligence. “Is the AI-generated summary giving you the truth or hallucinations?”
Both Paxson and Kellner, the keynote speaker, emphasized the importance of being able to challenge previous assumptions and rethink a preestablished opinion or belief. Kellner used the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs as an example of a truth that required scientists to rethink previous assumptions, since researchers had initially assumed the extinction happened over time.
Kellner also urged students to be open and to take risks. “Brown is an answer to the question, ‘What does society need?’” he said. “It needs you to be useful.” He added that “to be useful is to know something” and that “if you want to know something, you must be willing to change your mind.”
He concluded by encouraging students to take advantage of their time at Brown. “The University has given you the freedom to explore, so use it. Don’t waste it,” he said. “Have the courage to say what you think. Develop the character to change your mind.”
Stoll said that the ceremony “was a really lovely way to begin (her) year at Brown” and highlighted that she enjoyed Kellner’s speech. “A focus of the speeches was commitment to truth, openness to changing our minds and critical thinking,” she said. “Those are definitely attitudes that I want to be at the forward of my time at Brown.”
Denali Schijvens ’29, a transfer student, said that Convocation “really made you feel like a part of something bigger.” He thought Kellner’s speech was “very well-done” and “entertaining.”
“We’re starting a new academic journey here,” said Ivy Shen GS, a first year master’s student in the biotechnology program. “I’m really excited.”
Clarification: A previous version of this headline stated that the plane disrupted convocation. This article has been updated to reflect the nature of the plane's disturbance. The Herald regrets the error.
Rachel Wicker is a senior staff writer covering affinity and identity. She is from Athens, Georgia and plans on concentrating in English on the nonfiction track and International and Public Affairs. Outside of writing, she enjoys reading books of any genre and doing yoga.
