Watch as thousands of Berkeley’s newest form a human bear

Thousands of new UC Berkeley students gathered on the field of California Memorial Stadium on Tuesday for their formal class portrait. This year, the students formed the shape of a bear. Earlier efforts included a “150” in 2018 to celebrate Berkeley’s 150th birthday and a giant “C” in 2017 that set a world record for largest human letter.

The photo came after welcome speeches from Chancellor Carol Christ and other campus leaders.

“We feel as a university we are lucky to have you,” Christ told new first-year and transfer students. “You are bringing to the Berkeley community remarkable intelligence, energy, ambition, resilience, creativity, curiosity, and an eagerness to challenge the status quo and reimagine the future. You will stimulate and energize our entire university, and we are thrilled to have you shape Berkeley, even as it shapes you.

The final result will serve as the official class photo for the classes of 2021 and 2023. (UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser)