BROOKINGS The weather was on-again, off-again overcast, gloomy and with hints of precip Friday morning and into the afternoon as the annual move-in of freshmen to the residence halls began on the South Dakota State University campus. In nautical jargon, it could be described as an all-hands-on-deck, well-ordered effort albeit with a hint of cheerful and well-disciplined mayhem.
Bringing it all together in a sort of military-mission fashion was Rebecca Becky Peterson, director of Housing and Residential Life. She explained that a South Dakota Board of Regents policy dictates that first- and second-year students, based on their date of high school graduation, are required to live on campus.
Close to 3,000 freshmen, most of them accompanied by family members moms, dads and siblings were on campus as the new Jackrabbits were getting moved into their new digs.
On hand to get the mission accomplished were more than 800 yellow-shirted Meet State volunteers: faculty, staff and students; organized groups representing Dacotah Bank Center, the city of Brookings, Project Search and volunteers from the community coming forward, plus residence hall staff.
I think we have the best welcome in the region, Peterson said. We do this incredibly well. I think thats because of our dedicated volunteers. We have the same volunteers come back year after year. Theyre committed to welcoming students. Even this morning (Friday) when it was raining, nobody was crabby, no one was stressed. Everything they needed to do, they made it happen. Its amazing.
One student volunteer was Jacey Jorgensen of Arco, Minnesota, and an incoming junior going into the study of respiratory care. She had a sort-of recruiting slogan on her yellow shirt: Ask me about the Greek life.
Were just trying to motivate members to join Greek life, she explained. Its a pretty fun group of people. Im (Alpha Rho Gamma) this year. Im helping recruit potential new members. You get to learn about the sororities here on campus, what their core values are.
Philanthropy is one of those core values, exhibited by working with such local organization as Make A Wish and the Foster Care Foundation.
Working with Jorgensen was a fellow Minnesotan Sydne Morris, a junior graphic designer from Aitkin.
Among the thousands in town for the move-in were Sam Kruse and his daughter Jae Kruse from Rock Rapids, Iowa. He began his college years at SDSU but moved on to graduate from the University of South Dakota (Vermillion) because at the time SDSU did not offer a degree in elementary education. Now it does; and his daughter is double-majoring in journalism and elementary education. Shes hoping to be a news anchor. Her biggest move-in item for her room in Binnewies Hall was a futon.
Futons were just some of many large items that the yellow gangs moved, as the incoming frosh looked for a touch of comfort and maybe home. However, no kitchen sinks were anywhere to be seen.
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