More than 4,000 freshmen marched down Commonwealth Avenue Sunday afternoon as part of Boston University's annual matriculation ritual.

The march started at Danielsen Hall in East Campus and made its way to Agganis Arena, where the students were cajoled and counseled by a variety of BU personalities, including President Robert Brown and Student Union president Arthur Emma.

Brown touted the diversity of BU's student population, and encouraged the new freshmen to take pride in their school.

"Diversity runs through the fabric of BU," he said."Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream that one day people would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin is a reality here."

He told freshmen not to feel anxious about attending a school that fell short of meeting particular rankings.

"If you do have that anxiety, I challenge you to put it behind you," he said. "You will judge your performance in the next few years."

He also urged students to take pride in BU and all it has to offer.

"Be proud of BU, its history, the accomplishments of its teachers and students," he said."When you go to a hockey game and hear the chant "Go BU,' I hope you think it's really for you."

Emma, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, encouraged freshmen to be as adventurous as possible in their first few days on campus.

"It's the small decisions you make everyday that will determine the course of your future at BU," he said.

College of Fine Arts assistant professor Lydia Diamond spoke of the mutually constructive relationship between students and their professors.

"We're here to usher you through, celebrate your triumphs," she said. "In your academic pursuit, be audacious, be bold. We count on your voices, we depend on you to keep us forever on our toes."

Many freshmen said they enjoyed the ceremony and that it made them feel as if they had become part of the BU community.

"You could feel the school spirit, it made me feel like a real college student," CAS freshman Megan Gonsalves said.

"It was like graduation but better," Kelsey Goelz, also a CAS freshman, said."It was the reverse, basically."

"It's fantastic how big our class is, we could see it today when we were all assembled together," added CAS freshman Charlotte Saul.

Following the ceremony, thousands of freshmen flocked to Nickerson Field for SPLASH, the annual student activities exposition, to sign up for clubs and organizations.

On Monday night, more than 4,000 students, mostly freshmen, attended the George Sherman Union Takeover Party, hosted by Union.

Freshmen pumped their fists, sported glow sticks on their bodies and danced to the music, provided by Groove Boston, until 1 a.m.

Free food was also available in the BU alley (basement) of the GSU, however pizza and ice cream quickly ran out in the first hour.

There was also an acoustic café set up in BU Central and cigar sampling on the Terrace Balcony, provided by the Cigar Aficianado Society.

For many freshmen, the dance party was an ideal place to make new friends.

"I came to the dance thing because all the freshmen are going to be here and it's a good place to meet people," said CAS freshman Laura Rose. "I like the lights and the music is good."

"I like it because everyone's having a really good time," said Sara Close, also a CAS freshman. "We're all dancing, eating pizza and meeting people."

"I chose to come tonight to meet new people and hang out," added College of General Studies freshman Rachel Smith. "I figured it would be fun to go to one big dance party, better than high school."

The next day, BU students flocked to the Comm. Ave. Fair, where colleges and on-campus organizations set up activities and booths with free stuff and information.

The College of Communication had a moon bounce, the Community Service Center had a station to tie-dye T-shirts, the College of Fine Arts gave out chalk for students to decorate the sidewalk and the Office of Residence Life gave out free ducks tours, among other giveaways and activities.

Despite the scorching heat, the Comm. Ave Fair had a large turnout.

With welcome week finished, the next activity for freshmen? Class.