Freshman Move-in: Volunteers help new Govs into new homes
(Posted Aug. 23, 2019)
The cars wrapped around Castle Heights, and as an intermittent rain dampened the air, families fell out of their cars all at once. They grabbed boxes and appliances from trunks and lugged them into the building.
It is Freshman Move-in Day at Austin Peay State University. Parents and their children beamed with pride and poured with emotion.
The warm, sticky air made the work more laborious, but people smiled as they moved their sons and daughters into their new homes. And they smiled, thankfully, as teams of volunteers chipped in to help.
Austin Peay’s best – including athletes, fraternities, sororities and campus ministries – volunteered to welcome the new Govs to campus and to make the move-in as smooth as possible. The ministries included Chi Alpha, Baptist Collegiate Ministry and Every Nation Campus.
“I got involved with Every Nation Campus ministry, became a student leader, and now I’m helping give back,” Aaron Rooks of Every Nation Campus ministry said. “Today has been great, it’s been awesome helping students.
“We’re going to invite them out to what we have going on this week,” he said. “Just looking forward to what’s going to happen this semester and being able to connect with different students from different backgrounds, maybe from different states and different countries.”
More than 1,000 freshmen moved into their new rooms on Thursday.
Devin Watts, another member of Every Nation Campus, added: “I felt like this was an opportunity to connect and give back in a way, to make people feel more connected to not only the University but also to what the ministry has to offer as far as good people, real people and just a positive influence overall.”
While letting go can be hard for parents – and sometimes their children – they can rest easy knowing their students are being welcomed by a university that takes pride in making a home away from home.
APEX Weekend is coming
And don't forget, APEX Weekend continues through Sunday. It's loaded with events to introduce new Govs (and remind old Govs) to the Austin Peay Experience. APEX includes the Freshman Service Project, the Monocle Madness Carnival, both on Saturday, Aug. 24, and the Gov Run color run on Sunday, Aug. 25. For highlights about APEX Weekend, go here.
You can follow the weekend’s highlights – and see more move-in photos – on our social media platforms:
- Instagram: @austinpeay
- Click here to see our stories.
- Facebook: @austinpeay
- Click here to see photos.
- Twitter: @austinpeay
- Click here to see photos.
Classes start Monday, Aug. 26.
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