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New and returning Lutes move in
August 30, 2007
Nadine Selene-Hait eyed the elevator at Tingelstad Hall, which seemed to be taking its time arriving to the ground floor.
“Maybe we should take the stairs?” she started to say, casting a look at her daughter, Dakota and husband, Gordon.
“Mooom, this is heavy,” said Dakota, 18, as she balanced the wooden frames of her bunk bed during move-in last Thursday morning.
Obviously, taking eight flights of stairs was out of the question for the family from Olympia, and there was nary a Lute football player in sight to help. The family resigned themselves to waiting for the elevator, which appeared a minute later, packed with seven football players and one breathless freshman girl.
“It’s hot in there,” she gushed as she exited behind the stream of white and black jerseys. One assumes she was talking about the temperature.
This scene played out hundreds of times during the day as the freshman class – the largest in PLU’s history – descended on campus. It was also a scene that played out across hundreds of other universities this past weekend: Pack the car. Arrive on campus before sunrise to get the parking spot nearest the dorm. Go from one line to another picking up registration forms, identity cards, meal tickets and of course, keys.
“Please don’t lose that,” Nadine said to her daughter as Dakota tucked her key in her jacket pocket.
There was also an emotional checklist happening, as parents and students went through another rite of college: saying goodbye. Many parents were pushing their children out of the nest for the first time, with a sense of relief (they’ve made it) and sadness (no more nightly gatherings around the kitchen table).
Nadine said her tears came this summer when Dakota traveled to Germany as an exchange student.
“I guess that’s when I had to let go,” she said. “And we live in Olympia, so it’s not like we’re a long way away.”
Dakota had a leg up on other students. She’s been prowling around the campus since she was 10 years old, as her dad works for Communications and Technology Services. She also met her roommate, residence advisor and other Lutes through Facebook this summer.
While the Selene-Heit family joined the human line winding up and down the Tingelstad stairs, Roni Ziegler took a breather from the climb to reflect on her daughter, Kristen, leaving the family home in Longview.
“I guess we’re excited and sad,” Zielger said.
The family had two cars stuffed to the gills with stereos, computers, a television and an entire suitcase full of shoes, she said.
Standing outside Foss Hall, Kirk and Maureen Greene had refined the move-in process down to a science. The Greenes had already packed three older sons off to various colleges, with two coming to PLU. Last week, they were helping their youngest son, Jacob, get settled in.
While Kirk struggled to contain his enthusiasm over this milestone in Jacob’s life, Maureen admitted she’d probably shed some tears on their way home to Edmonds.
“You know, the first one, the moms are making the kids’ beds, and they kids are going ‘it’s okay to go, Mom,’” Kirk said. But last Thursday, Maureen seemed to have no inclination to do maid duty for her youngest.
After the daunting task of moving in was completed, the new students and their families explored campus on tours and participated in a host of orientation activities.
Parents were asked to leave campus by 12:30 p.m. on Friday, but they were invited to a debriefing period at the Garfield Book Company at PLU for time of tears and reflection.
“I bet mostly, you’ll see parents smiling,” Hait predicted of the debriefing.
“Mooom, this is heavy,” said Dakota, 18, as she balanced the wooden frames of her bunk bed during move-in last Thursday morning.
Obviously, taking eight flights of stairs was out of the question for the family from Olympia, and there was nary a Lute football player in sight to help. The family resigned themselves to waiting for the elevator, which appeared a minute later, packed with seven football players and one breathless freshman girl.
“It’s hot in there,” she gushed as she exited behind the stream of white and black jerseys. One assumes she was talking about the temperature.
This scene played out hundreds of times during the day as the freshman class – the largest in PLU’s history – descended on campus. It was also a scene that played out across hundreds of other universities this past weekend: Pack the car. Arrive on campus before sunrise to get the parking spot nearest the dorm. Go from one line to another picking up registration forms, identity cards, meal tickets and of course, keys.
“Please don’t lose that,” Nadine said to her daughter as Dakota tucked her key in her jacket pocket.
There was also an emotional checklist happening, as parents and students went through another rite of college: saying goodbye. Many parents were pushing their children out of the nest for the first time, with a sense of relief (they’ve made it) and sadness (no more nightly gatherings around the kitchen table).
Nadine said her tears came this summer when Dakota traveled to Germany as an exchange student.
“I guess that’s when I had to let go,” she said. “And we live in Olympia, so it’s not like we’re a long way away.”
Dakota had a leg up on other students. She’s been prowling around the campus since she was 10 years old, as her dad works for Communications and Technology Services. She also met her roommate, residence advisor and other Lutes through Facebook this summer.
While the Selene-Heit family joined the human line winding up and down the Tingelstad stairs, Roni Ziegler took a breather from the climb to reflect on her daughter, Kristen, leaving the family home in Longview.
“I guess we’re excited and sad,” Zielger said.
The family had two cars stuffed to the gills with stereos, computers, a television and an entire suitcase full of shoes, she said.
Standing outside Foss Hall, Kirk and Maureen Greene had refined the move-in process down to a science. The Greenes had already packed three older sons off to various colleges, with two coming to PLU. Last week, they were helping their youngest son, Jacob, get settled in.
While Kirk struggled to contain his enthusiasm over this milestone in Jacob’s life, Maureen admitted she’d probably shed some tears on their way home to Edmonds.
“You know, the first one, the moms are making the kids’ beds, and they kids are going ‘it’s okay to go, Mom,’” Kirk said. But last Thursday, Maureen seemed to have no inclination to do maid duty for her youngest.
After the daunting task of moving in was completed, the new students and their families explored campus on tours and participated in a host of orientation activities.
Parents were asked to leave campus by 12:30 p.m. on Friday, but they were invited to a debriefing period at the Garfield Book Company at PLU for time of tears and reflection.
“I bet mostly, you’ll see parents smiling,” Hait predicted of the debriefing.