During Appalachian State University’s 2018 move-in day, new students, their family members and volunteers transport the many boxes, totes and bags brought by students to their new on-campus dwellings. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — A procession of vehicles filled to the brim with everything from tiny essentials — phone chargers, shower caddies, water bottles — to dorm room staples such as TVs, microwaves and minifridges, arrived Aug. 17 for move-in day at Appalachian State University.
The new arrivals were guided to their destination by members of Appalachian’s Army ROTC, and the vehicles were systematically unpacked by students, parents and blue-shirted volunteers on hand with dollies and carts, who made the transition as seamless as possible.
Tom Kane, director of University Housing at Appalachian, said students have been moving in for a few days, and that nearly 2,400 first-year students moved in on Friday.
Everywhere, evidence of move-in day could be found: luggage was slowly lugged up flight after flight of stairs to its final destination at Eggers Hall; in a nearby parking lot, a parent held a chilled water bottle against the neck of a volunteer helping haul her daughter’s belongings; a student outside of Gardner Hall carried in a stack of pizzas, announcing his room number to anyone who looked hungry. Even the ducks in Tomlinson Park were out and about to make sure no student moved into their pond.
Gus Coffey, a junior public health major at Appalachian and Army ROTC member, helped direct vehicles at Gardner Hall. He said the day had been steady and went well.
“We help organize the cars to make sure it doesn’t get too jumbled up here, because sometimes it can get a little bit hectic,” Coffey added.
The assembly line of newcomers began Friday morning and continued into the afternoon. To keep things organized, Kane said, check-in is based on whether students live on even- or odd-numbered floors, with one set being done in the morning and the other in the afternoon so that elevators don’t need to stop at every floor.
Peak move-in times had traffic backed up, but Kane said the moment would come late Friday when “all of the sudden, you’ll turn around and say, ‘Where are the cars?’”
Move-in will continue into the weekend, as upperclass students living on campus return. Many off-campus students are also returning, as classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 21.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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