Students, Faculty, and Staff lend a hand moving in Class of 2019

Class of 2019 Move-In Day

The Class of 2019 arrived on campus August 28 to the open arms of volunteers, some their fellow students, ready and willing to grab a suitcase, carry a television set, and help them find their way into the dorms and campus that will be their home for the next nine months.

It was the start of three days of Opening Weekend activities that included discussions on your social footprint and the lifetime ramifications of what you put online, an ice cream social, and even service projects, where incoming students picked a location to visit and volunteer/participate at, including the Utica Zoo, the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, the Utica Public Library, and more.

Faculty and staff lent a hand as well, lugging boxes, moving appliances and doing whatever needed to be done to get students situated, including Assistant Professor in Civil/Environmental Engineering Dr. Steven Wei, who was pushing a big blue bin filled with clothes and even a plastic dresser into Oriskany Residence Hall Friday.

“A fridge was the biggest thing I’ve had to move today,” Dr. Wei said. “A lot of people bring fridges. That, and some even bring golf equipment.”

Dr. Wei said he tries to help out every year and the families and students all seemed incredibly appreciative for the aid. Meanwhile, Associate Director of Professional Development Marvin Meisner, was doing traffic control outside of Oriskany.

“I’m just disappointed they didn’t give me a whistle,” he joked as he directed cars in and out of the parking lot outside the dorm.

Class of 2019 Move-In Day

Volunteers weren’t just pushing carts and moving fridges, though. Some were giving students their room keys as well as individualized schedules for the day, letting them know what was happening throughout opening weekend – from First Year Seminar, to meals, to a weekend bonfire across from Mohawk Residence Hall.

Rico Davidson of Long Island, was moving in with help from mother Annette Davidson, sister Lillian Vega-Morales, and nephew Julian Morales. Attracted to SUNY Poly by its computer science program, Rico and his family left Long Island at four that morning, avoiding traffic and making it to SUNY Poly Utica with plenty of time to get unpacked.

“We didn’t have too much to move in. A sack of clothes was probably the biggest thing,” he said. “I’m looking forward the most to meeting new people and finding a good career.”

Throughout the day, students became acquainted with their new surroundings, settling into their dorms, getting photo IDs taken, and picking up books from the bookstore – all part of their initial welcome to the campus.

This year, SUNY Poly welcomed more than 300 new students.

Class of 2019 Move-In Day

“Enrollment at SUNY Poly Utica continues to grow in numbers and, more importantly, in quality,” said Rit Fuller, vice president for enrollment management. “The first-year class is the strongest since we began admitting freshmen in 2003. We hope to continue this trend next year and beyond.”

Eric Rumsey, of Cohoes, New York, was helping his son, Matthew (studying Applied Mathematics) move in. It was a bittersweet moment for many families, as Rumsey noted, proud of their children for all they’ve accomplished and set out to accomplish in the next four years and beyond, but not without a twinge of sadness that comes with your children growing up and forging their own path.

“I don’t know how it feels yet,” Rumsey said. “His mother’s inside with him. She’s probably dreading the departure.”