Volunteers help students and parents adjust to moving in

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As new and returning MSU students said goodbye to their families Sunday, residents and City Council members from their new home in East Lansing welcomed them in.

The East Lansing City Council has been providing a helping hand for the last several years to the nervous students about to start a new life, and to the anxious parents who have to leave them. This year, MSU opened the invitation to all residents of East Lansing. The call for volunteers was advertised on the city’s Web site, and an e-mail was sent out to city council members, some of whom showed up on Sunday to welcome the students.

Karen Corley, assistant director of diversity and engagement for MSU’s Campus Living Services, said the goal of allowing all city residents to help was meant “to get more partnership, more engagement and a community feeling” by reaching out to East Lansing as a whole.

A variety of volunteers came on Sunday, including city residents and council members, such as Councilmember Roger Peters. Peters helped with Welcome Week events last year, and he came back Sunday to help hand out keys and information packets to the incoming Mayo Hall residents. He estimates that he met about half the students who moved into that dorm on Sunday, along with their parents, while he was working.

“I was able to talk to the parents about the city … I think they saw it as a very welcoming kind of activity,” Peters said.

Psychology freshman Trevor Williams said the move was “a little hectic at first, (but) overall it was organized.” Williams said he found the volunteers most useful for getting around campus.

“It was nice — they could kind of point you in the right direction,” he said.

Several freshman, new to campus, said they found the volunteers to be pleasant, but that they received most help moving in from their parents.

“The volunteers basically were there just to be there; to be kind of a smiling face,” Corley explained. “We didn’t really require them to lift a box or anything.”

History freshman Abby Bhattacharyya said she didn’t feel the volunteers aided her when she was moving in, but was pleased with her move-in experience regardless.

“Everyone was really nice,” she said.

Corley said that most positive feedback she has received has been from parents.

“A lot of people come in not expecting to see volunteers,” psychology senior Chenchen Wang said. She has been a resident assistant in Rather Hall for the past two years. In her opinion, this year’s move-in has been the smoothest so far.

“There are more signs, more people out there trying to help out,” Wang said.

She also attributes the ease of the move to improved communication between University Housing and MSU’s Residence Life. Small details, such as directing the elevator line so it did not block the door, were well addressed, she said.

Peters said he was glad to be able to “reach across Grand River” and be active with MSU.

“I’m looking forward to participating in lots of activities throughout the school year,” he said.

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