Freshmen Set to Move In at Rider on Sunday

Editor's Note: The following is a news release that was issued by Rider University.

What can be an arduous process for freshmen at many colleges and universities – waiting in a logjam of cars on Move-In Day, then having to lug boxes, televisions and bed coverings up two or three flights of stairs to their dorm rooms – is rendered simple by Rider University’s Bronc Buddy system, which sees packed SUVs cleared of their contents in minutes, safely deposited in the new students’ residences.

This unique component of Rider’s Orientation Program was established to assist new students and their families with the transition into college. The Bronc Buddies help new residents move into their assigned residence halls, escort freshmen to opening weekend events, and facilitate various activities for the new students. This year’s Move-In Day for students on the Lawrenceville campus is Sunday, Sept. 4, from 8 a.m. to noon.

This year, more than 390 upperclassmen, including fraternity and sorority members, student-athletes and other student leaders, will participate in the program. Easily recognizable by their distinctive T-shirts, the Bronc Buddies have become a popular and efficient part of the Move-In Day bustle – though incoming students are sometimes startled by the helpful rush.

“Some of the freshmen seem a little overwhelmed at first by the process, but they’re excited at the same time,” said Jonathan Padron, a Political Science major who participated in the program last fall, one of several Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity members to volunteer. “We see lots of smiling faces and happy parents. They pull up to the building and they’re done in two minutes.”

The parents of the freshmen and new students are sent letters ahead of time so that they can anticipate the rush of helping hands. Even properly briefed, not every parent was quite prepared for the efficiency of the operation.

“I knew there was something like this, but I had no idea it would be so fast,” said Steve Snow of Union Township, N.J., whose daughter, Camille Snow, a Music Theater major, moved into Wright Hall last fall. “It sure saved us a ton of time!”

Such efficiency allows the new students and their families to enjoy the Family Food Fest on the Campus Mall, while more and more freshmen roll freely up to their new residences, their trunks bulging with belongings.

Cindy Threatt, associate dean for Residential Programs, said she looks forward to Move-In Day as much as any day on her calendar. “If there is any day I love working here, it’s this day,” she explained. “You rarely get the chance to make this many people happy in such a short amount of time!”