Volunteers helped student settle in to her new home

Moving into Nash Hall started a new chapter
in Stephanie Lonzak's life.

By Stephanie Lonzak,
WWU University Communications Intern

It was raining that day in September, I remember because it matched my mood.

I wasn’t happy about leaving home; or it may have been because this weather and this place symbolized the end of my summer vacation. And even though I was on north campus and preparing to move into my first-choice residence hall, I was secretly nervous and scared about attending college. I could tell my parents were more worried about the logistics of moving all my stuff up four floors. Thankfully, the volunteers quickly improved my feelings and calmed my fears, as well as my parents’.

As my parents and I got out of the car we were welcomed with a loud, “Welcome to Western!” as a cheerful girl in a bright yellow shirt walked up to us from the Nash Hall turn-around. She was there to help us move all my stuff to my dorm. The car was packed full of things every girl needs when moving away from home. Most of it was clothes of course, too many to fit in a residence hall room closet. But there were also room accessories like a lamp and a small rug, some pictures with family and friends and small decorations to make my new living area seem more like home.

Inside, Nash Hall’s elevator and stairwells were crawling with people who had their hands full, including us. I would have been lost without the help of my fellow students, all wearing highlighter-yellow shirts so they were easy to spot. They were all busy, either helping students move, signing people in or issuing room keys, but had no problem stopping and helping if someone had a question. These volunteers ended up carrying most of my belongings to my room for me, all the while giving me advice about where everything was and what kinds of policies were involved in the hall.

I’m a senior now and live in an apartment off campus, but I will always remember the day when I moved in freshman year. It was a pleasant surprise having all those people there to make things easier on the families. It enabled me to focus more on my parents and lessened the stress that would typically come with a move-in day as major as this one. Instead of the three of us focusing on getting through the crowd and trying to figure out where to go and what lines I needed to be in, the volunteers were there every step of the way leading us and making everything 10 times less aggravating.

My advice to those moving in for the first time is, not to sweat it. Worrying about the move-in day and how it’s going to go will only make it worse. With all those cheerful volunteers surrounding you, it’s hard not to smile and have a good time. Sure, it’s the end of your summer vacation, but it’s the beginning of a new chapter in your life.