Dorm staff reflects, prepares for move in

The hustle and bustle of campus has finally begun to pick up as students make their way back IU. Today, sounds of eager freshmen will fill the residence halls as the official move-in day for campus gets underway.

Although Residential Programs and Services provides a residence hall move-in guide to help the transition to college, it could be the information the guide doesn’t provide that will be most valuable and memorable for new students.

Dennis Perkins, residential coordinator for Foster Quad, said there are many unknown facts about each dorm, including Foster. The dorm has the most freshman athletes, he said, which creates a welcoming environment for those students specifically.

“We really want new parents and freshmen to know that we not only have students who play basketball, soccer and water sports, but also students who play tennis, compete in diving and volleyball, to name a few,” Perkins said. “So, other student athletes can come to our dorm and feel really welcomed here.”

Many memories have been made at residence halls in the past during
Welcome Week for resident assistants and incoming freshmen alike, the stresses of move-in day can also bring laughter to the sometimes bittersweet moment of parting from their parents.

“One morning a few years back we actually had a deer in the courtyard,” John Summerlot, residence manager of McNutt Quad, said. “It was banging its head on the windows and doors trying to get into the dorm, and parents and students that don’t know we are so close to the woodsy area of campus were screaming with laughter. It took IUPD and some of our RA’s with large sheets to get the deer away from the courtyard that day, but it was a really quirky and strange sight for people to see.”

Summerlot said over time, McNutt has changed into more of a unified community, and he hopes freshmen will form strong, healthy friendships because of this.

In addition to making move-in a more enjoyable experience for parents and students, residence hall managers are re-configuring their approach to move-in day. Traffic on roads such as Woodlawn Avenue, Sunrise Drive and Ninth Street will be redirected specifically to expedite the move-in process and cut down traffic jams.

Perkins said this year’s move-in will go a lot smoother than in previous years simply because of better RA training and work hours.

“We have our staff working during early move-in and on Wednesday for regular move-in,” Perkins said. “We’ve scheduled changes for early move-in and Wednesday that have already been really successful. We’ve gotten accolades from a lot of parents about how smoothly it’s going.”

Leigh Davis, student services assistant of Collins Living-Learning Center, also emphasized the importance of Collins’ planned events during Welcome Week, which are put on for the students’ benefit.

IU President Michael McRobbie, University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis and Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith will also make appearances around campus via golf cart during move-in.

“Everything seems to be going really smoothly,” Davis said. “Everybody is excited. We have some really interesting events, and all of our RA’s are very happy to help and welcome the new students to campus.”

For many students, the move-in process can be overwhelming, but with the help of residence assistants, roommates and campus events, new students can breathe a sigh of relief.