Last week, it seemed there were a lot of first days of school - literally.  Two people whose offices are in the same suite as mine had children start second grade, kindergarten, and pre-school.  This week, another person’s child starts pre-school.

Today at the University is the first day of classes for undergraduates.  Freshmen moved into residence halls on Sunday, and upperclassmen moved in yesterday.  If you work on a college campus and don’t enjoy move-in day, you probably chose the wrong profession.  One of the most enjoyable things I get to do each year is walk through the residence halls with Fr. von Arx while freshmen move in.  This year, Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino and new chief facilities officer David Frassinelli, joined us.  We hit two floors in each of the four residence halls where freshmen are assigned.  Everyone (for the most part) seemed quite happy to be moving in.  The whole thing is quite impressive to watch if you are into logisitics.  Residence life staff hand out the room keys.  Orientation leaders hand out the folders with all of the information.  IRHA (residence hall association) volunteers give out free t-shirts (the second of several dozen students will acquire over their four years - they already received the first free t-shirt at orientation sessions in June).  Orientation committee members help students and families carry what seems to be an endless stream of boxes and personal belongings into the halls.  University administrators and staff help to direct traffic and politely remind parents to move their cars after unloading everything onto the curb or sidewalk.  Dining Services distribute hundreds of free hot dogs, sodas, and water outside of the campus center.  IT staff, representatives from local banks and the Chamber of Commerce, and student life staff are gathered in the campus center to answer questions and assist.  The bookstore distributes pre-orders in an orderly and efficient fashion.  (The image of standing in line at the bookstore for hours waiting to buy books is meaningless on today’s college campus.)  The chapel overflows for Sunday Mass in the early afternoon.  Finally, around 4 p.m., parents and family members still on campus and politely “encouraged” to leave.

Walking around with Fr. von Arx is always fun.  We run into people we know somehow through a connection.  Most parents and students appreciate the president stopping by to welcome them.  There is also a healthy dose of humility thrown in when we stop at a room and people barely look up to acknowledge the president, as making the bed or connecting to the Internet for the first time takes absolute precedent!  We met a lot of interesting people from a variety of places and backgrounds.

For any prospective students and parents who may be reading this blog and are considering some of Fairfield’s competitor schools such as Loyola, Villanova, or Marist, we met a mom who was moving her 6th (of 7) child into college.  She said that she’s been to all of those other schools and we rank at the top in her book when it comes to orientation and move-in!

Yesterday, as upperclassmen moved in, I watched from afar, but at one point, the Dean of Students and I decided to take a ride to the beach and see what move-in was like for seniors living off-campus down there.  Unfortunately, we were a bit too early to see the mass move-in in the afternoon, but we saw a number of students and parents and were able to talk to some.  As we recounted the names of some of the houses, a senior who had no idea who we were helped us with some of the names we couldn’t remember and then innocently asked, “did you go here”?  As administrators, our identities and roles at the University are unknown to most students - and that’s just fine.

The parking lots are filled.  People are running on the cinder track around Lessing Field.  The sidewalks fill up every 50 to 75 minutes as classes begin and end.  The first day of school is a great thing to witness.  It was always my father’s favorite day of the year, and I suspect it is becoming one of my favorites as well.