By KAITLYN ALANIS

Staff writer

Chaos prevailed as boxes were piled high just waiting to be unpacked in hot and stuffy Tabor College dorm rooms during freshmen move-in day Friday.

“My mom started just putting stuff in drawers and I was like, ‘Mom, I’ve got to be able to know where you’re putting stuff because you’re just hiding clothes everywhere,’” Preston Loewen, freshman in criminal justice and sociology from Hillsboro, said. “I mean she was really helpful, but finding out where everything is will be new.”

Ariana Miller, freshman in social work from Hesston, said she way over packed — even for a girl — making move-in day even more challenging.

“All those boxes laying around the room and trying to step over them to put things in dressers — all while trying not to scream — that’s probably the most stressful thing there,” she said. “It was exciting until I started unpacking and stressed out. I was like, ‘There’s way too many people in this room, it’s way too hot, and I’m dying.’”

Jalane Giesick, undeclared freshman from Sublette, had extra “move-in-day excitement” when a homemade, do-it-yourself project went awry.

“Me and my mom took on a project and we made a headboard together,” she said. “It was too tall, so we had to take a saw outside and trim it then bring it back in, so it was crazy.”

But amidst the craziness, one feeling prevailed: the family environment Tabor and Hillsboro have to offer.

“I walked on campus to get my keys and was a little nervous, but immediately once you open the doors everyone here is welcoming,” Miller said “It’s very much like a family here.”

For Melody Valencia, freshman in criminal justice from New Mexico, Hillsboro is a new world with a challenging transition made easier thanks to the community atmosphere.

“Everyone is so close here,” Valencia said. “It’s a community where everyone knows each other, helps each other out, and supports each other.”

With a much smaller transition, Loewen said the new students are just as friendly as Hillsboro and Tabor’s upperclassmen.

“It’s family,” Loewen said. “I only had to do like one load because so many people were helping me move boxes. Even other incoming freshmen are friendly and saying hey to me, and they’re in the same boat freaking out too, but they’re still just as friendly as everyone else.”