Members of the Class of 2017 moved in under blue skies with an assist from Blue Hen Helpers.

New Blue Hens arrive

University welcomes members of Class of 2017 to campus

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4:33 p.m., Aug. 26, 2013--Blue skies, comfortable temperatures and plenty of helping hands made move-in day, Saturday, Aug. 24, a welcoming event for the 3,600 members of the University of Delaware Class of 2017 and their families and friends. 

About 7,300 students made the trek to UD’s Newark campus over the Aug. 24-25 weekend to set up housekeeping in residence halls and get ready for the start of the fall semester on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

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Blue Hen Helpers assisted by unloading vehicles for freshmen coming to Newark from all points of the compass.

Staff from Facilities, Residence Life, Public Safety and IT support joined UD administrators in greeting new and returning members of the UD community.  

Abraham Dera, a freshman from Cherry Hill, N.J., said, “I liked the campus from the first time I saw it. I didn’t want to go anywhere else. 

Matthew Ermak, a freshman business major from Bear, Del., said, “I like the closeness of the people here. It’s a great school.” 

Proving move-in day can truly be a family affair and a UD homecoming were parents and cousins Denise Blackwell and Marita Blackwell, both from the Newark area.

Denise Blackwell’s daughter Allison, a freshman exercise sciences major, said, “UD is the only place go.” Marita Blackwell’s son Carey, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said he chose UD because of its affordability and the size of its mechanical engineering program.

Both moms are also Blue Hens. Denise Blackwell graduated in 1989 with a degree in business, while Marita Blackwell is a 1983 graduate who majored in biology. 

Two new East Campus buildings, Eliphalet Wheeler Gilbert Hall and Louis Redding Hall, were open to receive the first group of freshmen who will call the state-of-the-art residence halls their home. 

Jacob Archer, a mechanical engineering freshman, said he liked moving into a new dorm with a great location. “I like the fact the East Campus also has the new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory.” 

Shivam Patel, a freshman chemistry major from Middletown, Del., said, “It’s really exciting being here. I have a list a mile long of why I came here. I also was a student in the Summer College Program.” 

Move-in weekend amenities included complimentary refreshments at several dining halls, as well as outdoor grills and beverage stations at the Rodney Complex and the George Read Complex, on UD’s Laird Campus. 

Other activities included a parents’ reception hosted by the Office of the Dean of Students, and a commuter student welcome and the Campus Breakout on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Sunday events included Zumba on the Green, UD Speaks with Justin Jones-Fosu, Think Fast, and student organization Activities Night at the Perkins Student Center and the Trabant University Center.

Article by Jerry Rhodes

Photos by Evan Krape and Lane McLaughlin

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