MU First-Years Experience Rainiest Move-In Day in History
Mariella Angeles
On Saturday, Aug, 25, MU first-year students did not just experience moving into their dorms; they also experienced the rainiest move-in day in history. The first-years had a time slot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for move-in and it did not stop pouring the entire time.
Allen Machielson, dean of Student Experience, oversees several departments that are directly involved with move-in day and said that Residential Life and University Safety collaborated to mitigate any parking and move-in issues. Machielson described the day as “very wet,” and that it rained only during the hours of move-in.
In anticipation of a soggy morning, Residential Life, University Safety and Machielson implemented a plan that would help students move in efficiently. Information regarding how to get to the halls and where parents would park afterwards was also included in the plan. The goal was to be as proactive as possible but the rain simply made all aspects go slower.
Still, Machielson noted that no matter how unfavorable the weather was, a day like that will always be memorable. “Everyone will talk about that time they moved in and that they were soaking wet,” he said. “Since the beautiful, sunshiny, easy days are hardly mentioned, it was a move-in day that everyone will always remember.”
It was a day that was full of building community and everybody who was involved, whether it was cabinet members, custodial staff, members of Res Life, or University Safety, the MU community was there to make the experience as positive as possible. Machielson simply described the day as “wet, organized chaos.”
Dalton Bailey, a junior currently majoring in criminal justice, is a SOL and assisted the process of moving in the first-years. He showed up at 7 a.m. to prepare for move-in day. One thing he did not expect from the day was the car back up that occurred. However, he also expressed that despite the car chaos the day moved in a fast manner even though it was “super rainy and humid.”
He noted that MU had pallets on deck so the students’ possessions would not just sit on the ground or grass to get soaked. Since both Garver and East do not have elevators, all items had to be carried manually. Bailey mentioned that the fridges were the most difficult to move in, especially when students were placed on either third floor of the residence halls.
As for the benefits of the day, Bailey said how rewarding the day was because of how appreciative the parents and incoming students were.