Students find moving into dorms easier second time around

A dark-blue conversion van sat among the mass of vehicles lining Towers Circle. Its occupants, Bill and Kathy Huber and their son, Bill Jr., of Florissant, Mo., all worked diligently to unload the contents of the packed-full auto, shuttling the cargo inside Towers.

It was move-in day at Southeast Missouri State University, and the same kind of scene was played out hundreds of times on Sunday afternoon, as students prepared for the beginning of the spring semester on Tuesday.

"Yes, this is why we brought the van, for this purpose," said Bill about moving his son into the Towers residence complex for the second semester. "And we had it full to the brim."

The items the Hubers brought are comforts needed to keep anyone sane while living in a box with a roommate -- a television, plenty of groceries, a new computer (for homework, what else?) and, of course, load after load of clean clothes.

Other students crowd Towers Circle, carrying mostly those same items, with the occasional unorthodox sight like a set of golf clubs or a bass guitar and amplifier. But for Huber, it's the standard fare.

"Yeah, I took my laundry home with me," said Bill Jr.

This is Bill's second semester at Southeast, and he and his parents say the move-in process was much better the second time around. "It was so hot last time, the cold is a lot better for this," said Kathy. "And we didn't have to mess with getting the keys for new students, which meant we had to go all the way to the Show Me Center last time."

Bill Jr. said he's looking forward to the upcoming semester, mainly so he can get a chance to hang out with the friends he's made at college. His father said that what Bill's really looking forward to is getting away from his parents.

Margaret Rose, a second-semester computer technology major from Jefferson City, agrees with the elder Huber's assumption. "Most of all I wanted to get away from my parents," she said.

Rose said she had fun on her break, catching up with her friends, being lazy and even taking a vacation to California, but she just couldn't wait to get back.

"I missed everything about college," she said.

Like Huber, Rose said that moving in this semester has been much easier than when she was a beginning freshman. She looks forward to her classes now that she's moved past most of her general requirements and into her field of study, she said.

But there is one drawback: "I just found out that I have to do six hours of community service," admitted Rose. "Some friends and I stole some cups from the cafeteria and they found them, so we have community service."

But regardless of her punishment, Rose said dorm life isn't so bad, since there's always something wild going on and someone to hang out with.

"There's never a boring moment," she said. "But I'll probably try to find my own place after next semester. There aren't so many rules, and you don't get community service for stealing a cup."

msanders@semissourian.com

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