First on-campus SEMO students move in

The first wave of students moved in on the Southeast Missouri State University campus Thursday.

Freshman students and their families packed Broadway and North Sprigg Street throughout the morning and early afternoon as they made their way to the Show Me Center for check-in and registration before unloading vehicles in front of residence halls.

Move-in began at 6 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., the circle driveway and parking lot in front of the Towers Complex filled to capacity, with a line of cars waiting for a place to park. Denise Busse, who was helping her daughter move, stood in the Towers lobby watching the line.

"We got here around 8:35 and unloaded one car; now we're waiting for the other," she said. "We waited for 35 minutes just to get through the loop there, which is what our other car is doing right now."

Busse said the experience was "overwhelming" and more than she expected, but wasn't all bad.

Incoming students and those helping them wait in line with their belongings at the Towers East residence halls during move in day Thursday, Aug. 22, at Southeast Missouri State University. Several campus organizations provided volunteers to help the approximately 1,100 students who moved into on-campus housing between 6 a.m and 1 p.m. (Adam Vogler)

"Everyone I've met so far has greeted me with a smile," she said.

Travis Walker agreed the lines for the Towers parking lot -- and elevators -- could be overwhelming, but said it wasn't anything more than he expected.

"I remember helping my brother move into his room here a couple years ago, and it was the exact same way," he said. "It gets pretty crazy for a while, but it'll slow down eventually."

A short walk from the Towers traffic, New Hall experienced a lull. Kara Haney and Ashley Haywood stood in front of the building in their green "move in crew" volunteer shirts, waiting for more families to arrive. They showed up to help about 8 a.m.

"It's going well. It was pretty slow at first, then it started to pick up," Haywood said.

Construction on the new dorm with space for about 260 students, called New Hall until a more proper name can be assigned, recently was finished.

Haney said she expected the pause in the move-in rush wouldn't last long.

"Probably around 10 to 12 is when it's going to get the busiest," she said.

Erica Matthews was one of the new freshmen settling into her room in New Hall. She said moving in was not as difficult as she had anticipated.

"I think the hardest part was just getting here and waiting in all the traffic," she said. "The actual moving in wasn't too hard, but it helped that they had people here to help carry your stuff."

Southeast will welcome its second round of students today. Bruce Skinner, assistant vice president for student success and director of residence life, said 3,046 students had signed housing contracts with the university to live on campus this year. About one-third of those checked in Thursday morning, he said.

The university will welcome back students with a weekend full of events, including the traditional ice cream pig-out today and a welcome-back picnic Sunday.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO