Significant Figure:

Taking the Madness Out of Moving In

When the first of Oberlin's nearly 900 incoming students began pulling into town on the morning of August 26, they found their new campus homes festooned with colorful balloons and banners. The decorations lent a festive air to a potentially nerve-wracking time, but they served a practical purpose as well, making each of Oberlin's 24 residence halls instantly visible to those craning to read building names from vehicles creeping down the roads.

Further directions and greetings written in chalk covered nearly every inch of sidewalk. Dorm and co-op lounges well stocked with refreshments reverberated with music and chatter, and hundreds of volunteers led by seasoned students stood ready to provide information and muscle--greeting the occupants of each car, helping newcomers locate their rooms, and hauling boxes and bags from vehicle to dorm room.

Aptly named Move-In Madness, the first day of orientation is organized by the staff of Residential Life and Services--more than 100 of whom are students who work for Res Life during the academic year. They volunteer to return to campus early to prepare for the new first-year and transfer students, and they are joined by other upper-class early arrivals, plus faculty and staff members.

The day's unique mix of amiablility, assistance, and support "must be experienced first hand," said Barabara Mehwald, acting director of residential life and services. More than just the first day of orientation, Move-In Madness is a day-long celebration of the arrival of the Oberlin community's newest members, she said.

--by Cindy Nickoloff '88

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