Just a day after moving in to his room in East Halls, Penn State U. freshman Chad Colopy had already reached his verdict on college: It’s glorious.
Colopy (freshman-premedicine), who moved in Saturday, said he is already beginning to feel at home in his East Halls dorm, calling his newfound freedom “awesome.”
Colopy is one of about 8,000 new students who moved into Penn State residence halls for the first time this weekend, Director of Housing Conal Carr said.
Many of the students lugged carts piled with boxes, as their parents maneuvered their cars into the packed dorm parking lots.
Downtown, dozens of people waited their turns in lines at restaurants and bookstores, hoping to catch a break.
But despite the chaotic appearance of move-in weekend, Penn State parent Thomas Gall said it ran like a well-oiled machine.
Gall helped his son Preston Gall (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) move into Pollock Halls Friday.
“Everything was well organized. A very good system was in place,” Gall said. “Security forces were in place. There was no animosity. It was not us versus them.”
Gall — a resident of Columbus, Ohio and an Ohio State Buckeyes fan — said he couldn’t help but admit that he likes Happy Valley.
“I love the area up here,” Gall said.
Carr said hundreds of people have helped in the move-in process, ranging from police giving directions to lost parents to faculty conducting college-advising meetings.
And behind the scenes of all of the hubbub is the Fall Arrival Committee, which has been prepping for the mass exodus of students to University Park this fall since March, Carr said.
The committee, which Carr chairs, includes representatives from University Police Services, the Schreyer Honors College, Housing and Food Services, Residence Life and ResCom, among others, Carr said.
Their hard work appears to be paying off for new students like Colopy, who said he’s acclimating well into Penn State.
“It’s awesome,” Colopy said. “All the people are friendly and everyone is in the same position. Everyone is looking to meet new people.”