Incoming freshmen and their families were unpacking vehicles and arranging residence hall rooms Friday, Aug. 23, as the class of 2006 moved into their new Elon homes. Details and photos from move-in day...
“Put the loft there…no, that corner…wait, maybe the mini-fridge can go there!”
Those were just some of the things Elon’s 1,200 freshmen were trying to sort out Friday morning, as they moved into residence halls across campus with the help of their families, members of the Residence Life office and faculty, staff and administrators. The task was a bit trickier for Brittany Schwartz, left, a freshman from Pittsburgh, and her parents, Sharon and Stuart. Not only did the Schwartzes have Brittany’s things for her first year at Elon, they had the car packed with belongings for her older sister, a student at Emory University in Atlanta.
“This was quite a coordinated effort,” Stuart Schwartz said while he hauled two suitcases to Brittany’s room in Sloan residence hall. When Brittany was asked what she brought to Elon, her father quickly replied, “There’s nothing she didn’t bring!” Brittany explained that wasn’t necessarily the case, but did highlight a few of the necessities from her point of view. “I brought lots of pillows-you have to have a comfortable bed, right?” Her laptop computer, stereo speakers, CDs and pictures were also essential items.
The story was much the same in West residence hall for Lindsay Robinson, right, and her mother, Brenda, from Olney, Md. They had a bit less help, since the rest of the family remained at the hotel to get some extra sleep, but the scene was similar. A stereo was placed in one corner of the room, while Lindsay unloaded a cart filled with a comforter, laundry detergent and music CDs.
The transition to college might be easier for Adam Hale and Dan Erdman of Upper Arlington, Ohio. The roommates in Smith residence hall went to high school together and have known each other for the last 10 years. “We didn’t really plan to go to the same college, but at the last minute, we both decided we wanted to come to Elon,” said Erdman. With Hale’s Oriental rug placed in the middle of their room, the pair enlisted the help of their mothers to fill drawers and closets with clothes.
While this weekend means parents have to say goodbye to their sons and daughters as they begin their college careers, the overwhelming majority of parents said this is not a sad time. Ginny Barnes of New Providence, N.J., agreed as she waited in the parking lot behind Mooney building for her son, Drew, to return from his new dorm room. “This is my baby going away, but it’s a happy day.”