President Framroze Virjee’s surprise rap video featuring Mihalyo College graduate, Rachel Herzog, received a standing ovation at the annual CSUF convocation.
“First of all, I know how to make a fool of myself and second, I just demonstrated to the entire campus that I can rap,” Virjee said.
The 2018 University Convocation was held Thursday Sept. 6 in the Titan Gym to welcome new students, staff, and faculty motivating them for the new year, according to the Cal State Fullerton website.
Check out @TitanPrezVirjee spitting fire with Rachel Herzog '18 from Convocation today #TitansReachHigher pic.twitter.com/s9VP56fkea
— Cal State Fullerton (@csuf) September 6, 2018
“When grads leave us, we fill arenas, number one in graduating women and Latinas,” Virjee rapped.
He later tweeted the video to actor Ken Jeong who tweeted back saying, “I loved your video, sir. Dope mic skills.”
I loved your video, sir. Dope mic skills. ?@csuf https://t.co/QwwkkElhnY
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) September 8, 2018
Virjee went on to say students should embrace each individual school experience. He challenged students to want more every day and to aspire to inspire, repeating “Titans reach higher” throughout his speech.
“The whole point is be present, be active and above all else, be Titans,” Virjee said.
Josh Borjas, Associated Students’ president, told his own story as a first-generation student and his struggle to embrace his role as a Titan. He spoke of apprehension and a weighing anxiety about where to start and how to fit in at a new school.
“I had no idea what college was about. I didn’t know how to be a good student. I didn’t know how to be a good community member and that was really prevalent on my first day of orientation,” Borjas said.
Borjas then led the crowd in the Titan Clap to energize the audience. The applause echoed loudly throughout the gym. Students, faculty, staff and alumni joined in a tradition that has been passed down from Titan to Titan according to the Associated Student President.
Afterwards Borjas had new Titans, promising to care for other Titans, to challenge one’s self and to be dedicated to excellence.
Matt Olson, deputy chief of staff and director of executive communications in the president’s office, said the convocation was slightly different from previous years because it focused on welcoming students. When Olson arrived in 2014, he said students were invited to the welcome event but it was very faculty and staff-centric.
Virjee visited the 23 CSUs and ultimately was inspired to hold a better convocation, that could center on all of the new members of CSUF leading to “the best kind of Titan experience,” according to Olson.
“He just is inspired by you all, what you do, how you do it,” Olson said. “The fact that you guys work multiple jobs, and take a bus, and raise families and are the first in your family or whatever situation, there is 40,000 of you. Whatever situation you are in, that you really do reach higher to achieve your academic goals.”