TU move-in has become a real community effort

By Kyle Hobstetter & Henry Basta '11 on August 22, 2019

Even with the sun beating down on a hot afternoon and traffic sometimes at a standstill, there were still many smiles around Towson University’s campus. 

That’s because on Thursday, more than 6,000 Towson University students began settling into their campus housing for the start of the 2019 fall academic term, and starting their own TU journey. 

And they had plenty of help too. There were over 300 Towson University student volunteers as part of the annual “Move-In Crew.” There was also help from hundreds of Resident Assistants, members of the Housing and Residence Life Staff, Orientation Leaders, New Student and Family Programs staff, and even members of the Towson Tigers football team.

Even Towson University President Schatzel got in on the action. In between driving around in a golf cart enveloped with TU swag, the president and members of the President’s Council handed out free popsicles to students and their families. 

Seeing the TU community come together and welcome its newest members to campus, Schatzel says Thursday is the perfect reminder of why move-in is one her favorite days of the year.  

“It makes all the difference seeing all the smiling and welcoming faces,” Schatzel says. “I can’t tell you how many families and students have said to me, while pointing to the volunteers helping them move in, or pointed to the RA, or pointed to the folks handing them the keys, and said, ‘These people made me feel so welcome.’” 

“It makes such a big difference, and it makes them feel part of the community the instant they come onto campus.” 

While the official start of move-in was 8 a.m., cars were lining the streets well before then, preparing to start the move-in process. And while families were there early, they weren’t the first ones on campus. RAs and members of the “Move-In Crew” were ready to meet families in the parking lots with utility carts and smiles. 

One of the biggest smiles was from Residence Tower RA Adrienne Holocker ’21, who was finally happy to get students back on campus. That’s because most of the RAs have been living alone on campus for almost two weeks because of training. 

So, when new students started flooding the Residence Tower, Holocker was one of the first faces to greet them and help them get where they needed to go.

“I love Towson University, I could honestly stay here forever,” Holocker laughs. “I love seeing residents move in because my floor has some life to it now. And getting to interact with people as soon as they get off the elevators is so much fun.”

Reed Sterner ’22, is a member of the Phi Kappa Si fraternity, and moved in a day early so he and his brothers could help with the “Move-In Crew.” One of the main reasons he volunteered was because the “Move-In Crew” helped him so much last year. He wanted to return the favor for the students coming to campus this year.

“I’m so happy that I get to be part of that this year,” Sterner says. “I want to talk to freshmen and tell them not to freak out. That day one dropout feeling is the kind of energy of the first day, so I want to tell them to calm down.” 

But with a lot of students starting their next journey, it’s hard not to blame them for being excited. While getting her room in Scarborough Hall ready, Anaiya Dixon was full of energy and ready to get the school year started. 

In fact, she admits that she’s already made a lot of new friends in just her first few hours on campus. 

“Everybody has been so helpful and so nice and kind,” Anaiya says. “The moment I stepped on campus I felt like I was at home. It felt so comforting and I felt represented in every area of the campus.” 

For mom Levette, she was happy that TU has such a diverse environment. And while she didn’t initially know that about the campus, watching students from different backgrounds and walks of life coming together makes her feel more comfortable about her daughter coming to TU. 

“You get a chance to learn outside of the box from other people, other backgrounds and other cultures,” Levette says. “We trust her to grow and develop here at TU. She’s going to do great things and get good grades…and maybe a little bit of partying, but definitely get those good grades.” 

For dad Gerome, it was a little bit more difficult to send his only daughter to college. Luckily the family is from Baltimore City, so it’s just a quick drive. It just has to hit him that his daughter is finally a college student. 

“It’s coming slowly but surely that my baby girl is going to be gone,” Gerome laughs. “Luckily she’s local so if anything happens we can be here just like that.” 

Another freshman moving in was Hunter Wynne, who got to move in a day early as part of Honors College. He moved into Douglass House on Wednesday morning and was excited to get the year started after meeting current members of the Honors College. 

But what really surprised him was how big his room was. It was a pleasant surprise, especially after hearing about the “horrors” of living in a residence hall. 

“My room was so much nicer than what I expected,” Wynne laughs. “Everyone made it out like ‘you’re in a college dorm, you’re basically living in the closet.’ But I’d say this is a much better reality.”  

With campus getting busy again, approximately 23,000 Towson University students will start class on Monday, the largest student population in university history. 

One of those students was Francisco Guzman, who was moving into Barton House with help from his mom, Dora, dad, also Francisco, and three younger brothers. 

“The environment was extremely friendly,” the younger Francisco says. “I feel like it’s going to be a great fit for me. I’m excited, I’m trying to get everything done and explore to campus and make new friends.”

The older Francisco though couldn’t help but get emotional when talking about his son’s accomplishment. Especially when they admit he did a lot of the work on his own.

“With the system and how it works, he’s been doing everything alone,” says the older Francisco through a small batch of tears. “I’ll be there when he needs me, no matter what. I’m proud of him. He made it.”  

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland, TIGER Way.