7,000 freshmen move into dorms without a hitch

Cathy and Dennis Blair bid their daughter Paige farewell for a second time Wednesday, as move-in day came to a close.\nThree weeks earlier, the Blairs experienced their “first” move in day, as their daughter arrived to nearly empty residence halls for an Intensive Freshmen Seminar, a three-week course for students who want to get an early start to their first year. \nAfter nearly 7,000 freshmen moved into the residence halls today, the only traces that remain are the overflowing Dumpsters with cardboard boxes. Missing are the parents – some armed with tissue – and the abundance of cars and traffic backups.\nDespite the heat, most parents interviewed said they were happy with how move-in went. Aside from traffic, parents said the move-in could not have gone smoother for their sons or daughters.\n“As long as I don’t have a ticket on my car,” Dennis Blair said with a laugh, adding that he felt it was easy to carry belongings into the dorms.\nWhile the Blairs’ situation may have been different, as they moved in early, IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said one of the biggest factors that allowed for a smooth move-in day was the number of students who moved in before Wednesday.\nThe Blairs said they recommend others to move in early. Because their daughter, Paige, was already on campus, they said they felt it was easier to move her from Foster Quad to Teter Quad. \nMinger said he learned from Residential Programs and Services personnel that the majority of the 7,950 students expected in the residence halls moved in early, easing the traffic flow and congestion of people. \nMinger said one person was struck by a car, but because of slow traffic, there was no serious injury. In addition, Minger said a wallet was stolen out of a purse, and while cash was missing upon return, police recovered it quickly. \nBob and Vicki Staed moved their son, Jim, into Teter Quad. It was their first college move-in day, and they described it in one word: smooth.\nJim Staed suggested having maps available to let incoming students know how exactly to get to their rooms, as some of the staircases he tried going up didn’t lead to his room.\n“Overall, though, it wasn’t too bad,” he said. \nWhile the Staeds moved in using staircases, the Stephens family moved their son Zach to Read Center using elevators.\nLinda Stephens said she couldn’t imagine not having the elevators to move her son in. She said the whole family tried to avoid Read and the crowds on Wednesday in fear of not being able to travel anywhere. \nThe Stephens moved Zach in a day early, on Tuesday. Linda Stephens said what was nice about moving in early was the easy access to elevators and hallways.\n“The $25 fee to move-in early paid itself 10 times over today,” Zach’s father, Mark Stephens said. “It was well worth it.”\nLinda Stephens said she just wished it wasn’t so hot, especially since Read does not have air-conditioned rooms.\n“I really think they should make air conditioning mandatory,” she said.\nDespite the heat, Minger said the weather held and there were no medical incidents police needed to respond to.\n“We are extremely happy,” Minger said. “We think (Wednesday) worked really well.”\nAs parents left campus on Wednesday with smiles and tears, most seemed confident that their son or daughter would be fine away from home.\nWhile Linda Stephens said she is sad to see her son go, she knows he’s ready for IU and the college life many freshmen look forward to.\n“Yes,” Zach Stephens said with a nod, “I’m ready.”