The weather was kind to the class of 2023 as they moved into their respective dorms this year. There was no rain, the sun wasn’t too intense, and there was a good breeze as students carried everything from books to bedding to brand-new mini-fridges into Pittman, Sohre and Norelius halls. In addition to the students, parents, college staff and the move-in crew were around to help things go as smoothly as possible.

The crew was easy to find in their bright blue tee shirts. Their purpose is to just be an extra set of hands available to make moving in just a little bit easier for new Gusties and to welcome them into their new home.

The move-in crew is a fairly new part of orientation weekend, with last fall being the first year the crew was called to action. Prior to the crew, the football team accepted donations in exchange for help with carrying heavy items. The move crew, however, helps the students out for free, which makes moving faster and easier for everyone involved.

Sohre Collegiate Fellow (CF), Sophomore Maddi McChesney was part of the move in crew for her building.

“Move-in crew was really helpful in the fact that as soon as someone pulled up and opened their trunk they were there immediately to start moving their stuff. They were always friendly with the families, making conversation, and it helped to keep cars moving through faster. It maybe only took students twenty minutes to move everything into their rooms,” McChesney said.

Although the office of Residential Life is in charge of student housing, it was actually the Campus Activities Office that was in charge of the move-in crew. The office was in charge of encouraging people to volunteer and organizing everyone so they knew where they were supposed to be and what was going on during the hectic morning.

Several campus groups volunteered to help, including the Cross Country team, the CF’s, the Gustie Greeters and even some full-time employees, to name a few.

“One of the guys on the move-in crew told me he carried 26 fridges into Pittman, and was looking to get to thirty by the end of move-in day. I’m pretty sure he made that goal,” Gustie Greeter Sydney Stumme-Berg said.

Leah Nelson, a first-year who moved into Pittman on Friday, August 30, appreciated help from the move crew.

“Move in crew helped me carry all my stuff in. They were very helpful and welcoming,” Nelson said. She also noted that most of the crew helping out were current students at the college.

“I thought it was cool to have students helping because you get to see some familiar faces around campus right away,” Nelson said.

Upperclassmen, such as Junior Gracie Willaert, was one of the students who volunteered to help move in the new Gusties.

“It was really fun working with the [first-years]. I could tell they were happy to see students their age helping,” Willaert said.

The time, however, was chaotic. It’s never easy to move in an entire new class of Gusties into three different buildings in the span of just a few hours, as Willaert noted.

“It was really hectic, the time went by really quickly. I was exhausted, but it was fun. I was happy to help,” Willaert said.

Willaert also shared some advice for first-year students.

“Get some sleep and call home when you need to,” Willaert said. “It’s not a bad thing.”

McChesney also shared advice for first-years.

With all the positive feedback from parents and students alike, it is likely that the move in crew will be back next year to continue helping new students smoothly transition into dorm living.