Students who plan to attend the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford in the fall were given an official welcome with a car parade on Monday afternoon.

University of Saint Joseph car parade. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

Students who will be attending the University of Saint Joseph in the fall won’t officially move onto campus for two more months, but on Monday they were given a warm welcome during what school officials believe is the first-ever car parade at a Connecticut university.

Approximately 100 incoming students heard their names and hometowns announced as their cars circled “Flag Pole Island” on the campus – and were met with cheers from the physically-distanced faculty, staff, and current students in attendance.

Participants in Monday’s parade represented approximately 40 different cities and towns in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. They plan to pursue majors in 21 different academic programs, and 22 of the participants were students-athletes.

The University of Saint Joseph campus plans to reopen for residential students on Aug. 24, 2020, and classes are scheduled to begin on Aug. 31.

University of Saint Joseph car parade. Courtesy photo

Also on Monday, USJ’s Department of Athletics unveiled its new logo and announced a new branding initiative.

“The goal of the revitalized logo and brand is to elevate and modernize the Blue Jays’ visibility on a local, regional and national level, while also aligning it with that of the University’s official brand,” a news release stated.

The logo retains the traditional Blue Jay – which has been given a sleeker and more modern look – and incorporates a silhouette of the official USJ crest.

“We are very excited about our new visual identity as USJ Athletics continues to grow and move forward,” Director of Athletics Amanda Devitt said in a statement. “We could not be more pleased with the way this project came together and I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the process. Having a strong and recognizable brand is important as we continue to pursue excellence as a department.”

The new logo will appear immediately on social media accounts and on the new O’Connell Center Addition, and will be rolled out gradually in other competition spaces.

Apparel and accessories with the new logo will be available for purchase through the online campus store here.

University of Saint Joseph Athletics logo. Courtesy image

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