By Tripp Henderson & Abby Rathburn | Staff Writers
Sweat dripped down faces, shouts of encouragement echoed across campus and water bottles became essential as student volunteers helped incoming students move into their new homes Thursday.
A heat advisory and temperatures well above 100 degrees did little to deter students from volunteering with Move2BU, Baylor’s annual move-in program that brings student organizations and community members together to help new students settle into campus life. As cars pull up, volunteers unload them quickly — often in less than a minute — and deliver the belongings to the students’ new room.
Goldthwaite senior Avery Graves, Kappa Alpha Theta president, said volunteering gives students the opportunity to make the stressful process of moving to college a little easier.
“I just love getting to help the freshmen because I know move-in was kind of stressful for me, and just getting to take the burden off of them and make it more fun for them is really fun,” Graves said.
President Linda Livingstone, who was participating in her 10th Move2BU, thanked the volunteers for arriving early to help welcome the incoming class.
“I am so proud of our students and faculty and staff that help out,” Livingstone said. “They are troopers, and they work hard. … They’re just having a great time welcoming.”
For incoming students, that welcome can make the transition to college feel less overwhelming.
Calabasas, California, freshman Anna Park said older students she connected with before arriving on campus have already helped her adjust to life in Waco.
“They’ve been pitching in everything, like a mattress topper, rides to church,” Park said. “They’ve just been so awesome, and it’s starting to feel like home.”
Still, leaving home for college can bring a mix of excitement and uncertainty.
Corsicana freshman Landon Murillo said leaving his family and home church has been difficult, but his faith has helped him approach the transition.
“I’m always thinking about my family and my home church as well,” Murillo said. “It just had such an impact on my life, so I know saying goodbye is really hard, but I know that if it’s this hard, then it had a great impact on my life.”
Murillo isn’t alone in these feelings. Sharon Shalwani, a parent from Coppell, said she has gone through many mixed emotions about moving her daughter into college.
“We’ve been preparing for this day since her junior year, so we’re really excited,” said Shalwani. “It was her top choice and her only choice, so we’re very happy to come to Baylor, but I’m also kind of nervous to let go, but we gotta do it.”
To ease the minds of these new families, Livingstone provided some words of encouragement.
“Take full advantage of the college experience and … enjoy being here,” Livingstone said. “Make the most of every minute you can.”
According to the Baylor website, Welcome Week gives new students opportunities to build friendships by participating in events that connect them to the Baylor and Waco community.
Houston sophomore Sophia Chiang, a New Student Programs volunteer, advised students to stay open-minded this week.
“Welcome Week is such a great time and place to explore and be who you are and also find yourself and find other people who are like-minded,” Chiang said.
Chiang said her own move-in experience showed her how quickly Baylor’s community could make a new student feel at home.
Irving senior Jayden Samuel, an Honors Residential College volunteer, said that sense of community is what motivates him to help.
“There’s a lot of people walking in that are not from Waco or didn’t grow up in a personal community, so I see it as our gift to be able to help with some of this,” Samuel said.
