 "Photo: David Heasley")
Ohio State's system of getting thousands of students into their nine-month homes was a success yet again.
According to University Housing's web site, nearly 10,000 students live in the residence halls and about half of them moved in on Sunday, the official "Move-In Day."
Students who showed up between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. received assistance getting their belongings into their rooms.
"It's incredible how smooth it goes down here," said Larry Bennice, who helped his daughter Chelsea move into Drackett Tower on North campus.
He said moving in took less than 45 minutes after arriving at the Schottenstein Center from Port Clinton, Ohio.
Bennice said that three years ago he helped his other daughter move into a dorm at the University of Toledo, but it took between two and four hours because the University of Toledo did not have the same sort of system OSU has.
Ohio State Welcome Leaders, also known as OWLs, are residence hall students who volunteer to help others move in.
"You don't even have to ask them - you pull up and they're automatically there," Bennice said.
First, students arrive at the Schottenstein Center where they pick up their keys. Then they are directed to follow a train of cars before reaching their dorm.
At the dorm, welcome leaders greet families, help unload and move belongings to students' rooms while family members find a place to park, said Tamara Skinner, OWL coordinator.
Skinner said she volunteered so she could move in early.
"I wanted to welcome new students and get to know them," she said.
Some dorms, like Morrill Tower, which houses about 1,200 students, have their own system in place once new residents arrive.
Freshman Steve Wohlwend, from Seville, Ohio said that it was like a party in the parking lot while he was waiting for his turn to go inside. He and his family received cookies, pizza, fans, T-shirts and lip balm, he said.
"You can tell they're used to moving thousands of people at once," he said.
His mother Chris said the move-in process took about an hour and a half.
"I was ready for frustration and long waits but we haven't had any," she said. "It's been very pleasant."
Bennice said pizza, bottled water, and sausage were also given away at the Schottenstein Center. In addition, each residence hall was stocked with muffins and coffee in the morning and cookies and lemonade in the afternoon.
"It was phenomenal," Bennice said. "I kind of hate to go home."
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