Kicking off her third year as university president, Linda Mills welcomed thousands of first-year students at Radio City Music Hall during two showings of NYU’s biannual Presidential Welcome Reality Show on Tuesday.
The show, which took place at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., was conceived in 2005 by Mills, then vice chancellor, and the late Elizabeth Swados, a Tony Award-nominated writer and Tisch professor, as an introduction to NYU’s health and safety resources. The event featured a speech from Mills, brief introductions from school deans and a student-led sketch-comedy musical.
“All of you, from Clifton to Cupertino, are here at Radio City Music Hall for a reason,” Mills said. “And when you’re having doubts, and you certainly will somewhere along this journey, I want you to remember my words. No, we did not make a mistake. And yes, you deserve to be here.”
The Presidential Welcome was Mills’ first major speech since her address at May’s all-university commencement ceremony — where dozens of graduates booed for the second year in a row. She highlighted recent student accomplishments, such as the women’s basketball team’s historic 62-game winning streak, and successful alumni across industries. Mills also touted the diversity of the class of 2029 — which represents 128 countries and 50 states — and urged students to “dare to be different.”
“Question those with the urge to silence or cancel others,” Mills said. “Seek to be a person of empathy, someone who others trust, judging not on background or belief. We have intentionally assembled this undergraduate class to create the next generation of bridge builders.”
Steinhardt first-year Tanvi Patil said that she appreciated Mills’ effort to reassure students experiencing imposter syndrome.
“When you are surrounded by talented people all the time, you sometimes compare yourself and think, ‘Do I really deserve this?’” Patil told WSN. “Having someone say, ‘You deserve to be here’ and ‘You belong here’ made me feel great.”
Artificial intelligence, performative culture and distressing news on social media were among the newer themes incorporated into the show by the 15-student ensemble cast, who wrote and performed the sketch-comedy musical.
Cast member and Tisch junior Elijah Dor told WSN that the group spent the entire summer writing and rehearsing songs for the 80-minute performance, following a lengthy audition process of callbacks and improv sessions.
Zoe Ragouzeos, the vice president for student health, mental health and wellbeing, told WSN that NYU Counseling and Wellness Services refined the script to reflect “real student experiences.” Each year, the cast incorporates wellbeing as a central theme by creating musical numbers that highlight resources such as the Wellness Exchange hotline, Student Health Center and Collegiate Recovery Program.
“I am deeply impressed by how the students wove mental health into the performance with honesty and hope,” Ragouzeos wrote in a statement to WSN. “We’ve not only inspired them, but given them lessons they can carry into their first year, their journey through NYU and well beyond into the rest of their lives.”
Correction, Aug. 27: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that dozens of graduates walked out of the 2025 commencement ceremony. The article has been updated and WSN regrets the error.
Contact Natalie Deoragh and Krish Dev at [email protected].
