Photo Gallery: Vanderbilt Founder's Day 2005

On Tuesday afternoon, the Vanderbilt community welcomed freshmen and transfers to the university at the annual Founders Walk. VandyMania's Whitney D captured these images of the event.

Cornelius Vanderbilt looks out over the freshmen as they assemble line up in the parking lots along West End Avenue.




Eric Hensley, a 6'7 offensive lineman from Clinton, Tennessee, poses with two other freshmen as they await for the procession to begin.




"I usually feel tall," says this professor . . . but not when she's standing next to the two incoming freshmen on the men's basketball team, George Drake and Kyle Madsen.




Before the walk, the returning members of the lacrosse team wait to cheer for the seven freshmen who are joining the team this year.




The procession begins, led by Chancellor Gordon Gee and Robert Thompson, Chair of the faculty Senate.




Amy Malo, Jennifer Risper, Tina Wirth and Holly Rogers, the incoming freshmen on the women's basktball team, pose for a photo after walking past Kirkland Hall.




For a moment, it seemed like Mardi Gras when the freshmen on the women's soccer team threw candy to their older teammates who cheered them as they walked onto campus.




Ryan Flaherty, one of the incoming freshmen on the baseball team, poses with his group. The 6'3 shortstop hails from Portland Maine.




After all the freshmen have made their entrance, the entire class gathers on the lawn in front of Wilson Hall to learn about Vanderbilt's founders and to be welcomed by representatives of the student body, the faculty, and Chancellor Gee.




After the formalities are over, the freshmen hear the Spirit of Gold play the Alma Mater and Dynamite! for the first time.




Then everybody migrates to the huge party tents for food and fun.




Maggie Yahner, one of the three freshmen on the women's tennis team, takes aim at the dunking booth.




The party goes on into the evening while the newcomers to the men's basketball team - George Drake, Ross Neltner, who transferred from LSU this summer, and Kyle Madsen - watch from front row seats.


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Photographs copyright 2005 by WhitneyD for Vandymania.com.