With just days before their first class, incoming freshmen began moving in Friday with a warm welcome from university leaders, athletes and volunteers. 

Friday between 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., incoming freshmen were greeted into their first college dorms. New Jackrabbits were greeted by a swarm of blue-shirted volunteers excited to make the move in experience as painless as possible. 

“This morning we got pretty busy. Within the first hour we had over 100 people move in,” said Nathaniel Condelli, Binnewies residence hall director, “Now it’s trickling in rather than swamped.”

In Young Hall, Meet State staff played music for families entering the residence hall. 

“The first thing that stands out is how contagious the energy is.” Sami Gortmaker, a admissions ambassador, said. “I was thinking the pep was going to die down after hour one or hour two, but we are on hour three now and we are doing alright.”

Freshman students were excited to be able to experience college life. 

“I’m excited for a kind of a change and a difference,” said freshman agriculture business student Blake Olson said.

Blake’s mother, Darla Olson, said her son is ready for college but will miss the home-cooked meals. 

However, it’s not just students who are excited about the new year. Parents like Allisa and Troy Wendland were there to help with the move-in and the introduction to SDSU. 

Troy Wendland was eager to get the move-in process over, joking that the family was “happy to get rid of” his daughter, Madelyn. 

Allisa had a lone concern about her daughter starting school at South Dakota State:  “I have no hesitations. I’m not worried about anything but her not missing me.”

After the move, the students receive a warm welcome to life as a Jackrabbit. With the First Night at State to kick off the weekend, as well as picnics, tours, and dances, students will come to know the campus and their fellow students. 

Just do the thing that you want to do,” Gortmaker said. “Do the thing that you want to do, it will pay our in the long run and open yourself up to a lot more opportunities than if you stay hesitant and stay locked in yourself.”