CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Dickinson College in Carlisle, Cumberland County, will be welcoming 530 first-year students who are residents of 32 states, the District of Columbia and 19 countries today.
The preparation to make sure everyone is settled in took several months of planning. New staff members and faculty will also be welcoming in the students and help them move in.
“The staff has been working really hard over the summer to make sure that the residence halls are in good order for each and everyone one of them,” said George Stroud, vice president of student life and dean of students at Dickinson College.
Drayer Hall, which was the first on-campus residence hall in Dickinson’s history, is now open to new students after being closed down for modifications. Students will be unloading their personal belongings, meeting new people and moving in near the Dickinson Walk. Volunteers will also showcase the college's focus on sustainability by helping families sort packaging and items from the move-in that can be reused, recycled or composted in an attempt to divert as much waste as possible from landfills.
“There’s a lot of work on the back end to try to make sure that we’ve done everything possible to welcome our students, and make sure they’re in a good space,” said Stroud.
Stroud offered some advice to students and parents ahead of the first day. For parents, Stroud said they shouldn’t be afraid to let go and let the students grow on their own. He also said that parents should trust that the values and lessons they’ve instilled in their child for 18 years will not hang by the wayside.
“And for students, these next four years should be the best years of your life, you’re going to come to a school like Dickinson and you’re going to be challenged in many ways—academically, personally, socially,” said Stroud. “You’re also going to be in an environment where you’re going to receive a lot of support, ask questions, reach out, get engaged, get involved. If you do all those things you will have a successful college career.”
Coming out of the pandemic era, Stroud said he recognized a lot of the first-year student's high school experience was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to that, Stroud says he wants to make sure students are coming into an environment where they have the opportunity to engage with one another.
“We do recognize that the pandemic altered the way we communicate and interact with one another so we want to make sure that this is an environment where we thrive off of engaging with one another, one on one and in group settings,” said Stroud.
The move-in day started at 8 a.m. at Dickinson College's "Dickinson Walk" at Cherry Street (Midblock between W. High & W. Louther). For a full list of calendar events and schedules, click here.