Welcome Students!

August 25th

There's always a lot of huffing and puffing moving students from home to campus, but last Saturday, it was particularly hot and humid.

A few lucky students snagged wheeled plastic dumpsters, cutting down on the number of trips from the parking lot to the residence hall. But the majority depended on the kindness of Bison bell hops, a tradition of faculty and staff volunteering to help students move their possessions.

As Provost Ezat Parnia supervised check in at the Dudley campus, President Debra Townsley and Dean of Students Brian McCoy helped check in first-year students at the Sturbridge Host Hotel.

The first-rate hotel is being used until modular resident buildings are readied in September, and Bison "buddies" (assigned to first-year students this summer to help ease the transition from home) joyfully greeted each other. Buddy Jim Dunne met his student William Brock from Wilbraham, Mass., and buddy Professor Christina Weiss met her student George Levasseur from Salem, Mass.

Two roommates, Christohe Ratte from Quebec, Canada and Jay Silvestro from Walpole, Mass., carefully toted their hockey sticks and golf clubs to their air-conditioned rooms, while moms and dads helped them unpack and get settled.

Representatives from the Business Office, Admissions and IT were on hand to answer questions and resolve issues. Even Nichols alums helped out; Rob Wells '99 MBA '01 carried luggage for Aleana Murdock, a freshman from his hometown of Pittsfield, Mass.

There were some tearful farewells between students and parents but also excitement and anticipation as students prepared to start the next chapter in their lives.