Bright Beginnings: President Pinto hosts glow party for UC first years
Hundreds of Bearcats first-year students enjoy vibrant welcome to campus
UC President Neville Pinto and First Lady Jennifer Pinto hosted a radiant welcome for hundreds of first-year students on campus September 26.
The UC President's Office set Campus Green aglow to properly welcome the University of Cincinnati's first-year students on Friday night. The highlight of the evening came when DJ Peter Pancake challenged UC's 30th President to step into the booth to drop some beats for all the students on the dance floor. He did not disappoint. The students roared when a wave of bass shook the dance floor and Peter grabbed the mic and shouted: "The coolest President in the Big 12!"
UC President Neville Pinto joins DJ Peter Pancake and the Bearcat to drop some beats for UC students on the glowing dance floor. Photo/Lauren Meisberger
UC's 53,682 students this fall represent the largest-ever enrollment and the second-highest first-year class in the history of the university. The night of celebration was designed to thank first-year students who live on campus for choosing to be Bearcats. Besides the DJ and dance floor, attractions included a dirty soda bar, festive facepaint, neon ping pong, glow corn hole, LED mini golf and plenty of food.
Bright Beginnings highlights
UC President Neville Pinto plays the Bearcat in glow ping pong. Photos/Lauren Meisberger
UC freshman have a blast on the dance floor.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Tags
- College-Conservatory of Music
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Medicine
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Allied Health Sciences
- College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies
- College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
- Blue Ash College
- Clermont College
- College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
- Graduate College
- College of Law
- President's Office
- College of Nursing
- Lindner College of Business
- College of Engineering and Applied Science
Related Stories
Three years, countless stories
May 15, 2026
UC's Klekamp Law celebrates its 193rd Hooding with stories from graduates reflecting on their paths through the college.
Driven by curiosity, guided by care
May 14, 2026
Max Wilson, a University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences health sciences major on the pre-physician assistant track, found his path expanding beyond the classroom and into hands-on research focused on human performance and patient care.
New cohort of nursing students get ready to join co-ops
May 14, 2026
A new chapter is beginning for more than 100 University of Cincinnati College of Nursing rising seniors as they embark on one of the most distinctive experiences in undergraduate nursing education: the UC Nursing Co-op Program. The incoming cohort will fan out across Cincinnati's premier healthcare institutions, stepping into some of the most dynamic and specialized clinical environments in the region. Placement sites include UC Medical Center (UCMC), West Chester Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) Burnet, College Hill, and Liberty campus.