There was a noticeable shift on campus late last week. The mostly quiet campus from summer was replaced with the busyness and excitement that only comes from the start of a new semester. You could sense the buzz in the air as new students hauled bags, boxes, and mini fridges into their new homes on the hill with help from their families and fellow Trojans.

I went over to the housing complex to check things out last Friday, and although I didn’t help move any boxes (sorry!), I did speak to a few students and their parents. And while the general consensus was that the day was “exciting,” a few told me a little more about what they were feeling on such a big day.

EIT student Adam Ray came from Nashville, AR, with his mom, Michele. They were both excited and his mom said she was happy for him to be in the EIT program. I noticed each of them was carrying some prized items – a flat screen tv and a large guitar case. Adam said the guitar was more important to him than the tv. So if you hear some guitar rifts coming out of South Hall, it just might be Adam strumming away.

Waiting outside the elevators in West Hall was CLC scholar and biology major Jamie Gardner. She said moving in was “hard and heavy!” She said it was really every emotion – both exciting and nerve-wracking. She and her family drove four hours from Blytheville. Jamie thinks it’ll be hard for her family since she’s so far away. Her grandma, Ivy Bruner, said she’ll miss Jamie, but that starting college “is a good thing.”

On the other side of West Hall was fellow CLC scholar and Sherwood native Tucker Johnson. He plans to major in nursing and got some help moving from his mom and younger brother. Tucker’s mom, Cindi, said moving her oldest son in has been difficult, but she was thankful he was still close to home. She also was excited he’s in a good program like CLC because of its continued supervision and community service aspect.

Tucker said he was “ready to go” and the most important item he brought was his mini fridge. I noticed a large supply of energy drinks that he plans to stock his fridge with. They might be good to have on hand as he studies those nursing textbooks.

From what I could tell, the day went smoothly. Housing Director Debbie Gentry said this year’s move-in has been very organized, thanks to smart planning and help from the rest of the Housing staff.

We’re happy to have this new group of Trojans living on campus. Welcome home!