Carnegie Mellon University
October 26, 2018

Carnegie Mellon Students Celebrate Inauguration

By Laura Kelly

Jason Maderer
  • Marketing & Communications
  • 412-268-2900

While pageantry and tradition marked the official investiture ceremony today for Carnegie Mellon University's new President Farnam Jahanian, fun and festivities colored the student Watch Party to make an event many students called “Farnival.”

“My favorite thing was the Farnam emoji,” said Amanda King, a graduate student in the Heinz College's Master of Public Management program. “I wish I had it on my keyboard!”

Students gathered for breakfast, CMU trivia and #CMUFarnam selfies before the Watch Party for the official investiture, and were bonded by the pride in the occasion.

“My favorite part of the Watch Party was seeing how proud people were to be a part of the Tartan family,” said Matthew Guo, a first-year BXA student in computer science and art. “I stumbled upon a man who had graduated from CMU almost 40 years ago. His pride in the school and admiration for its achievements made me proud to be a part of this community."

The celebration continued at the campus-wide picnic where guests were entertained by the Pipe & Drum Band, The Tartan Tuba Band and CMU Bhangra.

“Performing here is honestly such an honor,” said Sujay Desai, a senior chemical engineering student on the CMU Bhangra team. “To be able to give [Farnam] this on such a formal occasion and for our team to be able to represent part of what CMU represents I think is amazing. It reflects really well on the school and it reflects really well on our team, too.”

Carnegie Mellon campuses around the globe celebrated the occasion, hosting watch parties of their own to celebrate #CMUFarnam.

For more coverage of the event, follow #CMUFarnam on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.