MORRISVILLE, NY—They came bearing smiles, toting overstuffed suitcases, refrigerators, and clutching their favorite belongings from home. More evident than anything was the enthusiasm students packed as they moved in to what will be their home for the next few months—Morrisville State College.
Dressed in matching shirts emblazoned with “Team Morrisville,” staff and students greeted new and returning students during Welcome Weekend Aug. 20-23.
Eager to lend a hand, they helped classmates fill their rooms with familiars—microwaves, radios, televisions, rugs, curtains, fans, and staples they couldn’t go without.
Margaret Roosevelt was among parents who started planning the big move for her daughter, Lauren, well ahead of time, buying a refrigerator and microwave on clearance last year.
It was already starting to feel at home for Lauren Roosevelt, a human performance and health promotion freshman from Baldwinsville, who brought some of her favorite comforts from home, Easy Mac and Cheese for the microwave and a pillow pet from her best friend.
Lauren Roosevelt expressed her excitement for the beginning of the semester. “I’m a little nervous but excited to meet new people and get out of my comfort zone,” she said.
Margaret Roosevelt voiced a little apprehension as she helped prepare her daughter’s room. “She’s my only child and it’s hard to let go. I am really going to miss her,” she said.
In nearly every corner of the campus, helping hands reached out to offer assistance moving in, to answer questions and to alleviate apprehension. Staff from nearly every office on campus was involved throughout the weekend.
Sherrie Yerdon, from Burlington Flatts, was impressed by the number of staff and students who reached out to help, noting how smoothly the process went and how it has evolved since she and her sister moved on to the MSC campus decades ago.
“I’m already tearing up but I know she is at a great place in a fantastic program,” the 1984 nursing alum said about her daughter, Leanne Yerdon, a freshman nursing student who was moving in.
Jola Oke, a health-related studies sophomore from Queens, was among MSC resident assistants who pitched in to help.
“People helped me last year and I wanted to help them feel more comfortable. It’s a big transition coming from high school to college,” Oke said.
For the tenth consecutive year, student-athletes from the football, field hockey, volleyball and men’s soccer teams, took time out of their training schedule to assist the incoming class with moving into their residence halls.
More than 200 student-athletes and coaches took part in the service endeavor.
Among them were members of the MSC Mustangs football team, Jonathan Crane, a criminal justice major from Milbrook, along with Robert Heitzmann and Devon Tophoven, both sports nutrition and fitness management majors from Westmoreland.
Throughout Welcome Weekend students became familiar, or reacquainted themselves, with the Morrisville campus and all it has to offer. Activities included check-in for new students, informational sessions, classroom tours, laptop orientations, and AT&T cellular phone distribution.
Other activities included a Mustang Social for new students to get acquainted, a presentation by a hypnotist, recreational activities and movies, and mechanical bull riding.
“This is an exciting time of year for us all and a special occasion for new students,” said Morrisville State College President David Rogers. “We do all we can so our students feel welcome in making their transition to college life.”
It was an especially exciting occasion for President Rogers, as one of his official duties as president was welcoming students during the college’s annual Academic Welcome Ceremony.
All new students—first-year, transfer, and readmitted students, campus resident and commuters, were greeted by the entire faculty and administration, including the president and deans, during the ceremony, an annual event to welcome new students to campus and note the official opening of the school year.
This year’s enrollment class includes students hailing from Canada, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cameroon, South Korea and Kazakhstan. More than 1,100 incoming students (freshmen and transfer) were welcomed throughout the weekend, including OnCampus SUNY students from all over the world and eight different countries.
Morrisville State’s curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
In addition to being named to the 2014 President’s Higher Community Education Service Honor Roll, the college was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as an institution in the top tier of the Best Regional Colleges list and ranked second among regional colleges nationwide for outperforming its anticipated graduation rate.