EMCEE squared (plus one): The masters of ceremonies of Sun Devil Welcome
Sun Devil Welcome is a time unlike any other. Experience Sun Devil spirit, pride and tradition at its finest during this high-energy event for all ASU first-year students on Tuesday, August 19 at Mountain America Stadium. President Crow, Sparky, Sun Devil Athletics, the ASU marching band and student leaders will introduce you to what it means to be a Sun Devil during this official welcome. Sun Devil Welcome is immediately followed by ASU’s biggest FREE live concert of the year — InfernoFest — featuring a popular music artist.
To begin the night, we celebrate the new and incoming first-year students with the greatest of hype-people, the emcees. Taking the stage as emcees this year are Christopher Moore, Avery Watley and Adora Chen.
Watley is a film and media pro, majoring in film and media production at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, who has a bit of emceeing under her belt from high school pep rallies. But she was eager for a challenge. To her, the emcee is the event’s "hype person," whose responsibility is to set a tone and ensure there is high energy and an engaged audience. Her incentive? To have a good time, meet folks and make others feel welcome.
“I thought it would be a really cool experience and I would be able to meet a lot of people,” Watley said, about attending the event her first year. “I made friends at that event that I’m still friends with today. It’s just somewhere that you can make friends. It’s the very first big event at ASU that you go to."
Moore is a storytelling journalist. Having been a public speaker from a young age, Moore was naturally drawn to the role of an emcee.
His Sun Devil Welcome was a "wake-up moment" that brought college into clear view. “That was a canon event for me. It was my first real wake-up moment — like, oh my gosh, this is actually college.”
Now, preparing to appear on stage before thousands of faces, he has the same energy and enthusiasm to welcome first-year students to campus.
Chen is an economics enthusiast and connector. Having started university life learning global politics before switching majors to economics, she is a challenge and engagement incarnate.
She stresses the importance of getting plugged in early and making friends.
“Sun Devil Welcome,” Chen said, “is perfect timing for freshmen to stand up and start building a new community.”
Her biggest tip is not to wait and introduce yourself to someone new.
“Hit the ground running... Turn to the person next to you in class and just say hi. I promise — it might turn into a real friendship,” she said.
With two of three emcees being sophomores and the other a junior, welcoming the new Class of 2029 is a uniquely reflective experience.
In their first year, Moore, Watley and Chen were the ones navigating campus, meeting new people and soaking in the energy of Sun Devil Welcome. Now, with their first year behind them, they can’t help but look back with a sense of nostalgia and pride.
“It’s kind of crazy ... I feel like my first year went by so fast ... I want to do whatever I can to make sure that other people get something like that in their first years,” Chen said.
Being a Sun Devil Welcome emcee isn't just about keeping the night on track; it’s about creating the atmosphere and getting people ready for the new school year to come. They’re here to create a night that is so memorable, it will last your whole college career. An emcee makes the start of the school year into a celebration, and that's why Sun Devil Welcome is so far up the list of every year's favorites.
To all new students: don't miss out. Sun Devil Welcome is your welcome to the ASU community, a chance to meet new people, get a glimpse into the Sun Devil experience, and get a sense of the special spirit of your new campus.
It's free, it's fun and it's a feeling that's just unbelievable. Visit the Signature Events page for more information about Sun Devil Welcome or any other major events going on around campus.