This past week, the sunny weather was on Binghamton University’s side as micro-fridges, crates of various chips and comforter sets arrived on campus, with students moving back into residence halls.

Not including early arrivals, move-in lasted from Thursday, Aug. 18 through Sunday, Aug. 21, with around 7,500 students being welcomed back to campus — 50 percent being first-year and transfer students. With more relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, new and returning students were able to bypass the testing that was performed the year before, expediting the move-in process and decreasing traffic congestion. Family and friends of the students were also allowed in buildings this year.

Jasmine Orgo, a residential assistant (RA) and junior majoring in biology, explained how the behavior of incoming families improved the process.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Orgo wrote in an email. “All the parents and students I dealt with were agreeable and even the ‘busiest’ of times were manageable. The parents were much more responsive to the procedures that we set in place to make move-in run as smoothly as possible. Many parents even noted the difference between this year and last.”

This year, the newly instated B-Welcome Crew took over the physical duties of helping students load and unload their items, while RA’s focused on giving out keys and connecting residents to their resources around campus. According to Casey Wall, director of residential life and housing, the B-Welcome Crew will become a permanent position.

Pheona Angoy, a junior majoring in electrical and computer engineering, said the B-Welcome crew helped in facilitating move-in by making sure there were carts available for use.

“I feel that the Welcome Crew was actually very helpful,” Angoy wrote in an email. “Much of the procedural adjustment that we made to improve our move-in process was made on the fly and would not have been possible without their help. They helped in loading, unloading, cart collection, engaging with parents and even engaging with other staff.”

In addition to this being the first time a four-day move-in was implemented, BU’s department of industrial and systems engineering had also simulated the parking situation — helping the University come up with move-in timeslots. The department had planned for potential unloading times and congestion in each section of the campus.

Over 3,000 freshman students entered the University this year. Agnoy described helping students, particularly freshmen, who came with an abundance of things.

“I watched a girl load up eight different carts full of her stuff — it took her almost 40 minutes to get it all into her suite,” she wrote in an email. “I asked what was in her huge bags and she said it was all clothes. Coming from Arizona, the idea of snow made her nervous and she got a little overzealous when choosing coats and boots.”

Wall expressed gratitude toward all those who complied with this year’s move-in procedures.

“We are grateful to the students and families who cooperated with us by moving in during their designated times, following traffic and parking instructions and showing up with a great attitude to help make the move-in process as smooth as possible,” Wall wrote in an email. “We are very pleased with how the move-in process went this year, and we are happy to have our students back and are wishing all of our students a successful semester!”