With a flurry of boxes, hangers and paraphernalia essential to making a dorm room a home, MTSU welcomed students into their residence halls Aug. 24, day one of the annual “We-Haul” move-in effort.

Volunteers from the Division of Student Affairs, Enrollment and Academic Services and fraternities and sororities, as well as local community organizations, were on hand to provide dollies and physical assistance as parents off-loaded their youngsters’ items and found places to park.

“It is always an exciting beginning to the new school year,” said Dr. Deb Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services. “We love to see the new students coming, and their parents are always so excited, as well.”

As members of the MTSU Band of Blue played, President Sidney A. McPhee welcomed visitors under a tent across the street from Corlew Hall. Among the many We-Haul volunteers hauling students’ belongings nearby were MTSU athletic coaches Nick McDevitt and Rick Insell.

“The thing that is really special is the gratitude I hear from parents,” McPhee said. “They’re blown away! The excitement and the willingness of the community to be a part of this has been fantastic.”

MTSU sophomores Blake Borcherding, right, and Darion Campbell, left, help unload a vehicle during We-Haul move-in Friday, Aug. 24, at Corlew Hall. Volunteers helped hundreds of students get settled into their dorms in preparation for the start of fall semester classes Monday, Aug. 27. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Murfreesboro mom Tilina Hill was on hand to help her son, Cole, move into the seven-story Corlew dorm. She said she took more of a hands-off approach to helping Cole decide what to bring than she did with her other child.

“I took a lot of control, but I did, this time, allow him to be way more involved,” Hill said.

Cole said his mother still took charge of the life-changing event.

“I just kind of looked around and looked at what all I use every day, and then she told me what to bring,” he said, pointing to his mother and laughing.

While he could have lived at home and commuted, Cole Hill said he wanted to be more connected with the campus community.

“I thought if I lived on campus that I’d become more involved in the campus life and do more with the school and be a part of it,” Hill said.

MTSU freshman Cole Hill, right, and his mother, Tilina Hill, unpack Friday, Aug. 24, during the We-Haul move-in at Corlew Hall and other campus residence halls. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Sells said the key to a smooth move-in experience for students is the summer-long communication between the university, parents and students about what and what not to do.

“Giving them information on the front end is the most important part, especially right now when we have so much construction happening on campus,” Sells said.

Chloe McKessy, a freshman video and film production major from Germantown, Tennessee, said she believed she packed everything she would need.

“To be honest, I probably brought more,” McKessy said. “The only thing I had to buy was a bedspread.”

Later Friday, new and returning students were set to relax and enjoy dinner and a carnival on the Student Union Commons. The two-day move-in affair continues from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25.

Members of MTSU’s renowned Band of Blue serenade busy students, family members, friends and volunteers between Corlew and Cummings residence halls Friday, Aug. 24, during the annual We-Haul move-in event. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Bryan Stevenson, author of “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” will deliver the University Convocation address at 5 p.m. Saturday in Murphy Center. Stevenson’s book is the Summer Reading Selection for new students at MTSU.

Those who can’t attend University Convocation in person can watch it live on the web. Visit http://mtsu.edu/convocation for more details and to enjoy the event’s livestream on Aug. 24.

The President’s Picnic will follow on the Kennon Hall of Fame lawn.

Fall 2018 classes begin Monday, Aug. 27.

For more information, contact Jackie Victory, director of student organizations and service, at 615-898-5812 or jackie.victory@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)

MTSU freshman Jada Sims of Chattanooga, Tennessee, moves boxes in her dorm room Friday, Aug. 24, during the We-Haul move-in event at Corlew and Cummings halls on Friday, Aug. 24. Classes for fall 2018 begin Monday, Aug. 27. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Nick McDevitt, center, MTSU head men’s basketball coach, helps unload a vehicle filled with a student’s belongings Friday, Aug. 24, outside Corlew Hall during the annual We-Haul move-in event. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, center, high-fives freshman Jessica Nasca, left, of Hendersonville, Tennesseee, while her mother, Beverly, right, watches during the annual We-Haul move-in event outside Corlew Hall on Friday, Aug. 24. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)