BY EVE PAPA
Perspectives Editor
Many describe the act of kick-starting the fall semester at Sacred Heart University as a fun, exciting and action-packed experience – and it all starts with move-in day. As students begin to flood the dorms and dining halls again, a certain atmosphere of home and familiarity returns to the campus grounds within a day.
For on-campus freshmen residents in particular, moving in and starting the year is a fresh experience. Freshman Madeline Girandola is one of the many new students who recently got to dive into a new and exciting chapter of her life on move-in day. Girandola describes the buzz: “Move-in day was a mix of emotions. Seeing the streets filled with red and white, eager to help you move into your new home, was so exciting. I never thought move-in day would be so easy.”
Along with Girandola, freshman Divalee Iglesias also comments on the help that on-campus organizations such as Student Ambassadors and Greek Life provide to new students on move-in day. She says, “From the second that I entered, I could tell that Sacred Heart was filled with genuine people. The moment the car was put in park, I had people come up to me and asked if I needed help with giant smiles on their faces. With their help and the help of my family, move-in day was a huge success.”
Freshman move-in day is not simply a task that the university sees as standing in the way of starting the semester – it’s a full-blown event. And events like this call for a celebration, welcoming new students to an exciting campus atmosphere.
But as the freshmen and their parents were enjoying their wild ride outside the Seton and Merton courtyard, a stark contrast in atmosphere existed on the other side of campus. As exciting as the freshmen dorms were, all was quiet on the fronts of the upperclassman dorms. Many returning students were left neglected and forgotten about, and some meteorological sources even report that there was a large thundercloud over solely that specific area of campus.
One incoming second-year student, Christian Papa, was left to his own devices when it came to round two of his move-in escapades. Christian said, “I got there and nothing was going on. The RAs were just like ‘what’s up’ and that was kinda it. My parents helped me bring my stuff in, my dad yelled me goodbye, and then I took a nap.”
Others, such as sophomore Nicholas DiBernardino, commented on a lack of knowledge entirely as to what freshman move-in is. Some students apparently missed the memo when it came to getting help with moving in. When asked to speak on the matter of move-in day, DiBernardino stated, “I don’t even know what it’s like to move into a freshman hall cause I was in Berg and a pre-fall last year and moved in early for that.” And now, in his second year, Nicholas was yet again left in the dust as he hauled his items up the stairs of Bergoglio Hall all alone.
And if you think the sophomores had it rough? Wait until you hear about how the juniors and seniors experienced move-in this year.
Junior Christine Marra discussed with us her decision to move off-campus for this academic year, as well as the process of moving her belongings periodically throughout the summer. She said, “It’s nice to be able to move into an off-campus house gradually, throughout the summer. It’s not all one day. But putting together furniture… disastrous.”
The question as to whether or not the off-campus upperclassman population was aware that there would not be a move-in crew at the houses still remains unanswered.
If this doesn’t say it then we don’t know what does: being a freshman is great. Because off-campus living and adulting hit like a ton of bricks, and reality isn’t always as bright and shining as freshman move-in day is.
