2,500 freshmen move into WCU

Fall classes start Monday

WEST CHESTER » “Drivers stay with you cars,” University Student Housing official Stephanie Cartwright, warned freshmen and their families as they arrived at Commonwealth Hall on South New Street for freshmen move-in day. The first of over 17,000 students returned to town as West Chester University welcomed freshmen to on-campus residence halls Friday.

With military precision, housing officials, groups of returning student volunteers and families unloaded the clothes, mini-refrigerators, duffel bags, lap tops, backpacks and cases of water for delivery to their new homes for the next nine months.

“It’s been a beautiful day, with both the weather and the new system we’re using,” said Michael Selby, CEO of University Student Housing. “There are over 2,500 first-year students moving in to both USH housing (Commonwealth, Allegheny and Brandywine,) and the traditional (Goshen, Tyson and Schmidt) campus housing today.”

Selby said the university worked with the borough to minimize the impact to neigh-

bors.

A number of streets were closed to traffic including New Street as university officials used the two campus parking garages for the first time as stage. Arriving students were given window tags which instructed them on the route to their hall and where the dorm room their processions would go. Cars were released 10 to 12 at a time to each hall, where returning student volunteers unloaded and quickly moved the incoming students on to their next check-in.

“It’s really well organized, much better than when we went,” said Christine Taylor of Downingtown, who with her husband Scott Taylor are both alumni of West Chester. By noon the couple had unloaded their daughter, Alexandra’s gear and were headed home.

“It’s going great,” said Barbara Grogg of Mechanicsburg, who along with her husband Fares Farhat were unloading the third car full of processions for their daughter. ”We were here last week for the drop and go, and now we have her car and the pickup. I don’t knowhow it’s all going to fit in the room”

Upperclassmen return Saturday, with the first day of class beginning Monday.

The university expects fall 2018 enrollment to exceed fall 2017 enrollment, which totaled 17,306 students of which 2,855 were graduate students. A press release said virtually 100 percent of the anticipated growth at the graduate level is occurring in online Distance Education offerings.

The university also pointed out that nearly one quarter of new students are from families in which they were the first generation to go to college. As part of a new pilot program, more than 100 first-generation students were welcomed at the Center for Student Involvement to speak with faculty and staff about the various opportunities at West Chester.

West Chester University President Christopher Fiorentino stopped by and spoke to some of the freshmen. One was Christina Rubino of Allentown, New Jersey who told him that she picked WCU because it had a large number of students but still had a small-town feel.

PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester University sophomores Jen Meakim and Melanie Wojewoda are two of the more than 400 returning student volunteers who unloaded over 2,500 freshmen students and their families onto campus Friday.

PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Joe Dovell of Erial, N.J. unloads some of his daughter, Victoria’s belongings Friday as West Chester University welcomed over 2,500 freshmen students and their families onto campus. Drivers had to stay with their cars as over 400 returning student volunteers moved the belongings to the students’ dorms.

PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester University welcomed over 2,500 freshmen students and their families onto campus Friday. “It’s been a beautiful day, with both the weather and the new system we’re using,” said Michael Selby, CEO of University Student Housing. “We’re using Neild St. garage as a staging area and release 10 to 12 cars at a time.” Selby said they had more than 400 returning student volunteers assisting with the move.

PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester University President Christopher Fiorentino speaks with Christina Rubino and her mother Lisa Rubino of Allentown, N.J. Rubino, like nearly one in four of the university’s new first-year students, reported being a firstgeneration college student. “I feel like a piece of my heart is going, but I’m pretty proud of her,” said her mom, Lisa Rubino.