The Short Walk (Freshman Walk Before Pinning Ceremony)

The Howard University Freshman Pinning Ceremony is a signature rite of passage designed to ceremoniously induct First-Time-in-College (FTIC) students into the Bison family. This experience marks their formal welcome to the institution, celebrating their commitment to scholarship, community, and legacy.

The evening begins at dusk with the Short Walk, where students journey from their residence halls through The Yard and into Greene Stadium, symbolizing the transition into collegiate life.  This is the inverse of the Long Walk, during which students traditionally walk from Greene Stadium to The Yard for the Commencement ceremony, representing the arduous journey of self-discovery, sacrificial growth, and unyielding proficiency required to become a Howard graduate. “The Short Walk” is designed to ensure that new students begin with a sense of humility and recognition of the hard work it will take to complete their course of study. While being accepted to Howard is not easy, it is still a relatively short process in comparison to the much longer and more intense process of graduating.  In order to complete “The Long Walk,” they will need to be sunset their lives as juveniles and be reborn as Bison.

As students take The Short Walk, they will walk in the footprints of those who have come before them. 

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