Move-in day causes mixed emotions

By Kate Gleason

Mixed emotions ran high Sunday as residence halls officially opened their doors to incoming freshmen on move-in day.

Campus residence halls were swamped with parents and students eager to get a glimpse of their new homes away from home. Rental carts were available for students to move bulky, heavy items. A stream of traffic flowed in and out all day along the major roads near residence halls as students and parents worked to transfer items from their cars into the rooms.

Andy “Sid” Gallagher, of Mount Greenwood, Ill., said he feels very confident that his daughter, Meghan, will do just fine at the University.

Meghan, a freshman in LAS, is the oldest of five children and the first to go off to college. Her father said Meghan is prepared to be on her own and that he and his wife will not feel an urgent need to visit frequently.

“We’ll of course come down for Dad’s Weekend and Mom’s Weekend, but I don’t feel like we need to be checking up on her,” he said.

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Pete and Becky Meyer, of Morris, Ill., moved in their “third and final” child, Becca, a freshman in LAS. They agreed that move-in went very smoothly, and much better than it had in years past.

“Everything was very organized and it just made things so much easier,” Becky said.

Although they said they would miss Becca, the Meyers said they have no huge worries about their daughter adjusting to college life.

“We’re just really happy for her,” Pete said. “I think it would be harder if this was the first child going off to school, but the third time around was a piece of cake.”

Though some parents were both worried and sad at the prospect of parting with their children, most students were enthusiastic about attending college and being on their own.

Becca Meyer said she was very excited about moving into her dorm.

“I can’t wait,” she said. “The only thing I’m nervous about is classes.”

For some, move-in day proved to be a very emotional experience.

Kathy Eagan, of Palos Heights, Ill., moved in her daughter Jana, a freshman in LAS. Eagan said she was “very sad” at the fact that her eldest daughter will no longer be living in the same house.

“I am definitely going to miss her,” she said. “But I plan to visit a lot, whether she likes it or not.”