Cars lined the roads, students in red shirts pushed orange of baskets full of dorm material into elevators and teens stood around nervously as their parents fussed around. Yes, it’s that time of year again—freshman move-in day.
University of New Haven freshmen moved in to their dorm buildings Thu Aug. 21 with the help of upperclassmen students volunteering for Welcome Wagon.
“It was really nice having Welcome Wagon help move me in,” said freshman Matt Alvarez. His parents added that they were extremely impressed with how organized everything was and how smoothly move-in went.
“Welcome Wagon was fun,” said junior Samantha Higgins. “It was fun to get to know the freshmen and see how excited they were to move in.” Higgins added that she plans on volunteering again next year.
“I’m most excited to start making my first films as a college freshman,” said Alex Halfinger, a communication major who plans on focusing on film during her time at UNH. “I’m least looking forward to the lack of air-conditioning,” she added.
Freshman Sarah Henriques, a commuter student, says she’s most nervous about getting to her earliest class and finding parking each day. “I’m excited to make friends, go to class and learn new things.”
Throughout the day, students were encouraged to visit the New Student Resource Fair in the Beckerman Recreation Center, where campus offices and a variety of local businesses were present with tips and resources to aid freshman around both UNH and the New Haven area.
“Meeting and helping out all of the new freshmen was definitely my favorite part about being an orientation leader,” said junior Victoria Johnson. “There was a lot of satisfaction in making their transition to college easier.”
Owen Johnson, a Rhode Island native who moved into Westside, the newest residence hall, on Thu, said he’s most excited about not being home, to which his mother responded by laughing. When asked why he chose UNH, he replied “Because it’s awesome.”
Richard Rotella, Undergraduate Student Government Association president, said he’s pleased with the way Charge In went, and that he’s happy to welcome the new class to UNH.
“If I could give one piece of advice to the freshmen, I would say to keep an open mind and don’t judge what you don’t know,” Johnson said. “I know a lot of people who came into college believing certain things or carrying certain prejudices who completely turned their opinions around.”
Welcome Week continues on into the first week of classes. Each day, a variety of activities geared toward acclimating the freshmen and making them feel more at home are offered. Some of these events include programs to teach students how to do laundry, a hypnotist and a comedian.
“Get involved and remember to do what makes you happy!” said Rotella.
