Andrew Auth, a sophomore from Pittsburgh, was one of 400 volunteers helping freshmen and transfer students move in Thursday at Slippery Rock University.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Excited for new beginnings, a fresh group of Slippery Rock University freshmen and transfer students moved into their dormitories on Thursday.

Move in started at noon with upperclassmen and volunteers on standby with bins and muscle to move in the new students.

David Wilmes, associate provost for student success, said more than 400 volunteers, a combination of returning students, faculty and staff, helped more than 1,400 new students move into their rooms.

“It's really to welcome them to our SRU family, and we really do believe that. We see this as our family,” Wilmes said. “The parents and the students seemed very pleased.”

Morgan Ramsey, a junior, of Erie helped move in her sister, Rachel, who is starting this year as a freshman.

“It was fun,” Ramsey said. “It's cool to show her everything around.”

Kathryn Simpson, a freshman, of Corry, Pa., said the helpers made the process simple.

“They were really helpful, and they were really organized,” Simpson said.

Simpson has chosen to study psychology.

“I'm looking forward to meeting new people and attending classes,” she said.

Vanessa Huth of Ellwood City and her parents visited the Bed Bath & Beyond tent, a new feature of this year's move-in process.

The tent sold essential items for college students setting up their dorms for the first time.

“I liked that a lot,” she said.

Wilmes said the tent is a new feature this year brought in by the Association of Residence Hall Students.

“They also had the opportunity to preorder,” Wilmes said. “They could preorder something, and they would have it on-site for someone to pick up.”

Vanessa said between the tent and the volunteers, the move was less stressful than she anticipated.

“It's exciting, but it's also making me nervous,” she said. “Once I got out of the car, I thought it was less stressful because (university staff) told me what to expect.”

Vanessa plans to study occupational therapy, and her parents, Ben and Cara Huth, are excited for her, but they will also miss having their daughter at home.

“It's bittersweet,” Cara Huth said.

Ben Huth said this will be their first child going to college. “We're such a tight family, it's going to be tough,” he said.

Gaetan Casella, a sophomore transfer student, of Williamsport, said he plans to study digital communication.

“I'm looking forward to see what this place is like compared to the last college I was at,” Casella said.