Torch, Summer 2004

Summer 2004 / TORCH 11 C edarville University welcomed more than 3,000 students — including more than 900 freshmen and transfers — to campus in August. As students and their parents moved belongings into the residence halls, they were met by University faculty and staff families who helped unload numerous cars and countless items. Helping students move in is an annual event for many faculty/staff families. Volunteers are provided T-shirts that identify them as they wait in front of residence halls to assist arriving students and their families. After driving for hours and even a couple days for some, parents are thrilled when they see a group ready and eager to help them unload their vehicles. Jerry McQueen drove from St. Louis, Mo., to bring his daughter, Julie (a freshman member of the women’s basketball team), to Cedarville. “After a long drive, the help is a sigh of relief,” he explained. He was impressed when he realized that the help was from faculty/staff families. “It’s great!” he said. “For Julie it gives her a sense of family. It makes her feel welcomed.” Peggy McGaha drove 13 hours from Nebraska to drop her daughter, Abbie, off for her sophomore year. The waiting help was much appreciated. “I think it’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. “It was nice to see young kids helping out — they are so eager!” The Hellwig family was part of the group that helped Abbie and Julie get settled. Evan is a professor and Kelly is a secretary at the University. Their children, Chelsie (13), Jordan (11), Deric (10), and Lily (7), joined them in the effort. They found it to be a wonderful family activity. “I was most struck with how much fun my kids seemed to have,” Evan explained. “We had planned to help for three hours in the morning, and my kids were disappointed when they learned that we weren’t going back after lunch.” For Kelly, a Cedarville alumna, the experience was a trip down memory lane. As she helped girls move into the dorm where she once resided, she recalled many fond memories. “In a sort of flashback, I revisited relationships, classes, and decisions that made up my college experience. It reminded me how life-changing those years are. It made me grateful again for the years I was at Cedarville,” she noted. Bill Boulet came from Lakeland, Fla., to bring his two daughters to Cedarville. After being helped by families like the Hellwigs, he commented, “I think it’s a great way for the faculty/staff families to get a different perspective of the students. It’s also a great way for students to link with faculty/staff families.”