It’s one of the largest freshmen classes in Miami’s history but school officials are well-practiced for this annual ritual as school staffers — including Miami President Gregory Crawford and his wife Renata — pitched in to help the massive move into the school’s freshmen residence halls.
Cars sporting license plates from around the nation lined up in orderly fashion before pulling up next to halls for unloading. More than 61% of the new students hail from Ohio with the remaining freshmen enrollment from out-of-state and also from 39 nations, said Miami officials.
“This always feels like the most wonderful time of the year here in Oxford,” said Jessica Rivinius, spokeswoman for Miami.”
“Everywhere you look, you see happy faces and feel the spark of excitement as campus truly comes to life. Sure, there are the occasional tears as parents squeeze in one last hug, but just beyond that is a smile for all that is to come in the year ahead,” said Rivinius.
Classes for all Miami students, including those at the Hamilton and Middletown regional campuses, begin Monday.
Miami has for decades been acclaimed by various national studies and surveys as one of America’s most academically prestigious schools and the university is also Butler County’s largest employer.
For those reasons and more Mimi Sacksteder and her husband drove from Chicago to help their daughter Kayle into her college campus home.
“She (her daughter) is so excited. We’ve been looking forward to it and we’ve been working all summer to buy all kinds of supplies and now we just have to see if we can get them to fit into the room,” chuckled Sacksteder as they unpacked the family SUV.
Daughter Kayle agreed, saying “I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“It’s exciting. It’s nerve-racking. But I can’t wait to get into there,” she said.
Fellow freshman Chris Filiberto, from Long Island, New York, echoed the energy, saying: “It’s really exciting to move in … and start the college experience.”
Filiberto praised Miami’s staff with easing the once-in-a-lifetime transition into campus college living.
“They have really done a great job. There are people (staffers) all over helping people get into their dorms and get everything set as smoothly as possible,” he said.
Jeremi Powell, from Dayton, was helping his son move into one of the residence halls and he marveled at the scope of the operations.
“It’s a big day,” said Powell.
“A very big day and very fun for us.”
MORE ONLINE
The Journal-News was in Oxford on Thursday as students moved in to their residence halls. See photos online at journal-news.com.
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