On August 21, ULM held its fifth annual Convocation, welcoming students, faculty and staff back to ULM and opening the new academic year.

Investigative reporter and author Eric Schlosser was the keynote speaker. Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the American Meal was required reading for incoming freshmen as part of ULM's Summer Reading Program.

Schlosser encouraged students to expand the way they learn. When in a classroom, it’s important to analyze what you are learning, he said. “You can’t just take notes and copy everything down. No matter how much you take down, a tape recorder will do a better job than you.”