COLUMBIA, Ky. - Shortly after 8 a.m. CT Saturday,
Lindsey Wilson College Dean of Students Chris Schmidt officially
declared the start of the 2009 fall semester.
He posted a picture with the two-word tweet at
@BigSchmidtDog: "It begins."
Although freshmen resident students weren't
scheduled to move in to residence halls until 9 a.m. CT Saturday,
dozens of students and their family members were already eager to
unpack almost an hour before the official start time.
Fortunately, several dozen Lindsey Wilson staff and
faculty were already on the A.P. White Campus to help the new
students. For about four hours Saturday, several hundred freshman
resident students were registered, directed and unpacked in the
college's residence halls.
Upperclass resident students return over the next
several days. Fall classes begin Wednesday.
Official enrollment figures will not be available
for several more days, but college officials already know that this
fall's freshman class is the largest in the college's 106-year
history. And with more than 825 students expected to settle in
residence halls by Tuesday night, the college will also have its
largest resident population in school history.
On Saturday morning, most new resident students
enjoyed the kind of seamless move Jacob Shirley experienced.
Shirley arrived in Columbia at around 9 a.m. CT, three hours after
leaving his of Harrison, Ohio, home with his parents, Ron and Donna
Shirley, and younger sister Emma.
Shirley said he didn't pack for college until
Friday, and he need but an hour on Saturday to unpack three bags of
clothes, a box of school supplies, a basket of cleaning supplies, a
laptop computer and a tent in his Richardson Hall room.
"It was pretty easy for me," said Shirley, who is a
member of LWC's inaugural wrestling team and plans to major in
pre-nursing. "Everything went just fine."
Saturday's move was also a relatively smooth one
for freshman Ashley Upchurch of Monticello, Ky. She took about two
hours to pack on Friday, and then arrived around 8:45 a.m. CT
Saturday on campus with her parents, Ray and Carolyn, and twin
younger sisters, Nikki and Taylor.
By noon CT Saturday, Upchurch's belongings were
unpacked in her Phillips Hall room, and she and her family were
enjoying lunch in Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference
Center. Upchurch said she only forgot two items - a cable for her
television and a toothbrush.
But her father, Ray, said moving was the easy part.
Saying goodbye to his oldest child later in the day probably would
prove to be more difficult for him and his wife.
Getting settled into a residence hall room was a
little more involved for freshmen roommates Dorothy Karcher of
Carrollton, Ky., and Emily Chesser of Chaplin, Ky.
The two met last March during tryouts for the LWC
cheerleading squad. After making the squad, they decided to become
roommates, decorating their Phillips Hall room in pink and black
with a zebra theme. Although it took extra time to bring everything
together - and also required a Saturday run to Wal-Mart - the pair
had created a near-perfect residence hall room by the
evening.
"It helps you and your roommate come together when
you work on something like this," Chesser said. "You have led
separate lives, but then through this project you become friends
and get closer."
Early Saturday afternoon, the Lindsey Wilson
community officially welcomed the Class of 2013 at the annual
Kick-Off Ceremony, held in Biggers Sports Center.
"This entire campus has worked so hard to have you
here today," said LWC President William T. Luckey Jr., who is
beginning his 12th year as the college's eighth president.
Luckey told the students that they have "an
incredible opportunity" at LWC.
"You have an opportunity to not only be the largest
class in the history of this college but to also be the best class,
if you find ways to help each other succeed," he said.
New resident students then participated in Hooray,
a community-building event in Biggers Sports Center. The day also
included a picnic at the Emily Hundley President's Home and an
evening on the Campus Quadrangle, sponsored by the LWC Student
Government Association.
Move-In Weekend continued with special events on
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
But as LWC Alumni Director Randy Burns '93 reminded
the new resident students at Saturday's Kick-Off Ceremony, they
were embarking on more than a college career.
"You are only going to be a Lindsey Wilson student
for a short period of time. … But you're going to have the
opportunity to be a Blue Raider for the rest of your life," he
said.
(Click here for the schedule of Opening Week
activities.)
Although freshmen resident students weren't scheduled to move in
to residence halls until 9 a.m. CT Saturday, dozens of students and
their family members were already eager to unpack almost an hour
before the official start time.
Fortunately, several dozen Lindsey Wilson staff and faculty were
already on the A.P. White Campus to help the new students. For
about four hours Saturday, several hundred freshman resident
students were registered, directed and unpacked in the college's
residence halls.
Upperclass resident students return over the next several days.
Fall classes begin Wednesday.
Official enrollment figures will not be available for several
more days, but college officials already know that this fall's
freshman class is the largest in the college's 106-year history.
And with more than 825 students expected to settle in residence
halls by Tuesday night, the college will also have its largest
resident population in school history.
Smooth Transition
On Saturday morning, most new resident students enjoyed the kind
of seamless move Jacob Shirley experienced. Shirley arrived in
Columbia at around 9 a.m. CT, three hours after leaving his of
Harrison, Ohio, home with his parents, Ron and Donna Shirley, and
younger sister Emma.
Shirley said he didn't pack for college until Friday, and he
need but an hour on Saturday to unpack three bags of clothes, a box
of school supplies, a basket of cleaning supplies, a laptop
computer and a tent in his Richardson Hall room.
"It was pretty easy for me," said Shirley, who is a member of
LWC's inaugural wrestling team and plans to major in pre-nursing.
"Everything went just fine."
Saturday's move was also a relatively smooth one for freshman
Ashley Upchurch of Monticello, Ky. She took about two hours to pack
on Friday, and then arrived around 8:45 a.m. CT Saturday on campus
with her parents, Ray and Carolyn, and twin younger sisters, Nikki
and Taylor.
By noon CT Saturday, Upchurch's belongings were unpacked in her
Phillips Hall room, and she and her family were enjoying lunch in
Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center. Upchurch said
she only forgot two items - a cable for her television and a
toothbrush.
But her father, Ray, said moving was the easy part. Saying
goodbye to his oldest child later in the day probably would prove
to be more difficult for him and his wife.
Getting settled into a residence hall room was a little more
involved for freshmen roommates Dorothy Karcher of Carrollton, Ky.,
and Emily Chesser of Chaplin, Ky.
The two met last March during tryouts for the LWC cheerleading
squad. After making the squad, they decided to become roommates,
decorating their Phillips Hall room in pink and black with a zebra
theme. Although it took extra time to bring everything together -
and also required a Saturday run to Wal-Mart - the pair had created
a near-perfect residence hall room by the evening.
"It helps you and your roommate come together when you work on
something like this," Chesser said. "You have led separate lives,
but then through this project you become friends and get
closer."
Official Welcome
Early Saturday afternoon, the Lindsey Wilson community officially
welcomed the Class of 2013 at the annual Kick-Off Ceremony, held in
Biggers Sports Center.
"This entire campus has worked so hard to have you here today,"
said LWC President William T. Luckey Jr., who is
beginning his 12th year as the college's eighth president.
Luckey told the students that they have "an incredible
opportunity" at LWC.
"You have an opportunity to not only be the largest class in the
history of this college but to also be the best class, if you find
ways to help each other succeed," he said.
New resident students then participated in Hooray, a
community-building event in Biggers Sports Center. The day also
included a picnic at the Emily Hundley President's Home and an
evening on the Campus Quadrangle, sponsored by the LWC Student
Government Association.
Move-In Weekend continued with special events on Sunday, Monday
and Tuesday.
But as LWC Alumni Director Randy Burns '93 reminded
the new resident students at Saturday's Kick-Off Ceremony, they
were embarking on more than a college career.
"You are only going to be a Lindsey Wilson student for a short
period of time. … But you're going to have the opportunity to be a
Blue Raider for the rest of your life," he said.
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2008 Lindsey Wilson College