Smooth Move

Freshman Amanda Faber unloaded her belongings onto a Gator Wednesday afternoon.\nBecause of construction blocking Ashton's old parking lot, Ashton residents like Faber had to use the utility vehicles to move in.\nBecause only six Gators were available, Faber had to wait about an hour to get her luggage moved. Despite the inconvenience, she and her mother were patient as they waited.\n"I've been through this before," her mother Donna Faber said. "We should have gotten here earlier. I think it's been organized. The construction is just bad timing." \nThe traditionally frantic move-in day came together thanks to 4,100 students who moved in early to alleviate much of the pressure Wednesday, said Bob Weith, Residential Programs and Services director of residential operations.\nThough the day went off without any major setbacks, the freshmen in each dorm shared stories of their first glimpse of independence.\nSonam Thadani had never been away from her parents for more than four or five days. After making the drive from Indianapolis late Wednesday afternoon, Thadani was the family's first daughter to leave home for college.\n"I'm nervous. I don't want her to go," said her father Kaman Thadani. "I'm a little excited she's going to college, and it's really good for her to get an education."\nAlthough her parents wanted her to go to school closer to home, Sonam Thadani is excited to live in a new place.\nMost parents suggested scheduling different times for each floor or part of each building to move in. \nBut, despite complaints, most parents were content with the organization of the day.\n"I'm really impressed," said Suzy Santangelo, a parent helping her student move in. "The people couldn't be friendlier."\nWeith said he was equally delighted with the smooth move-in as he worked at Collins Living-Learning Center, where music and bright decorations were set up to welcome the newcomers.\n"Lots of people are walking around with a smile on their face," Weith said. "It's a positive party atmosphere."\nIU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said the move-in could not have gone any better. Traffic was not even backed up as expected as he drove home at about 4 p.m., he said. \n"The efforts of pre-planning paid off, and it was pretty much flawless," he said. "We're all very happy as to how things turned out"