OT: University of Michigan Move-In Day
I was just reading that incoming freshman were recently notified about their on-campus housing and roommate assignments. That got me to thinking about my move-in experience and wondering about my fellow MGoMembers' experiences. Here's a few of my memories from that day way back in 1993:
Driving up to the entrance to Markley and seeing all the kids and their family members carrying in their belongings and the sense of excitement I felt. Meeting my roommate (who would soon become my best friend) for the first time and the awkwardness that comes along with all that. Unloading our cars and lugging all of our sh-t up to the 5th floor (5115 Van Tyne), getting soaked in the process when a thunderstorm popped up out of nowhere. Picking out pre-cut carpeting in a parking lot by South Quad while some student builders put up lofts in our room. Watching my parents drive away that first night and feeling that my life has just changed forever. Hanging out in the hall of 5VT talking to neighbors into the wee hours of the night. Sleeping in until noon the next day. Good times!
What do your memories hold? I'm very interested, and it might make for a fun late-night thread . . .
August 16th, 2011 at 7:38 AM ^
August 16th, 2011 at 5:49 AM ^
I wish I had a story such as these sometimes, but being from the Ann Arbor area anyway (about ten minutes from campus), it didn't make a lot of sense for me to live on campus (i.e., my father was not willing to help fund the education AND the dorm life), although I was a frequent visitor to many halls and knew at least someone in most of them. I probably nearly nailed some of you with the 1991 Lumina I drove at the time though.
August 16th, 2011 at 6:58 AM ^
I remember making the drive from New Jersey the day before move-in day and my mom decides to give me "the speech" (boy, she was a little late on that one) 3 hours into a 10 hour car drive...talk about awkward.
However, my parents did make up for it the night after finally moving into East Quad (no, I was not in the RC) when we went and saw the Stones at Comerica Park. Great concert!
The next morning, my mom was balling and my dad wanted to leave before I saw him cry too. This all kind of made me feel like an ass because I just couldn't wait for them to leave, so I tried to be as consoling as possible and as soon as they drove away, I went up to my roommates and just said, "So, who's getting the first case of beer."
Ah, the memories.
August 16th, 2011 at 8:28 AM ^
Ah, Markley... 4th Reeves was where it was at. My roommate was a Korean kid who I saw a total of 3 or 4 times all year, but the rest of my hallmates were great. I'll always wish I was still there.
August 16th, 2011 at 8:49 AM ^
how a bunch of us lived in Markley. I was on 3rd Elliott right by the gross cafeteria.
I remember my curfew being 11:30 at home (my parents were tough) and the first night, I stayed out until 3, and thought college was the greatest invention ever!
Also joined a sorority due to lack of cool hallmates....
August 16th, 2011 at 9:18 AM ^
I have that same memory - staying out/up late as heck those first few weeks. It was awesome how the excitement of the time kept everyone up late.
Oh, and my other favorite thing about the living arrangements was that the dorms were co-ed. I'd obviously never experienced it and I remember countless late-night strolls down the girls' halls. I always wondered what the co-eds thought when they saw a group of guys walking down their halls. Good times.
August 16th, 2011 at 9:51 AM ^
I started LSA in 93 too. Remember that rain. Crazy to think you just get stuck in a tiny box with two strangers (I was in a converted triple) that you will live with for 8 months. One of them I haven't talked to since 94, (He transfered to a different school) and the other I talked to last night about going to the outdoor hockey game in Cleveland this January.
It was a great 4 years.
August 16th, 2011 at 10:02 AM ^
My freshman year was in Markley in fall 1974 (2nd floor Elliott). The building was still relatively new then. What I remember most is that my brother drove me up to school from Pontiac, and he carried the first load of stuff up into the room when we got there. He was six years older then me, a full-fledged hippie; long dirty hair, grungy torn clothes, smelling like weed. My roommate was already in the room, but my brother didn't say anything to him, just threw my stuff on the bed and walked back out. I finally got up to the room about twenty minutes later after parking the car, etc. I introduced myself to my roommate and boy, was he glad to see me! He thought my brother was going to be his roommate, and he was already plotting how to switch rooms. We both got a good laugh out of it and quickly became great friends. 37 years later, through graduations, weddings, divorces, funerals, kids, etc., we still remain great friends.
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
August 16th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
Got a room exchange to a single at Bursley from a multi-room at South Quad before I even moved in. Ended up being the room right across from the restrooms / showers. Nice thing is it was a co-ed hall and I always had my door open and coffee brewed in the morning for the ladies when they came. Too bad I was too much of a dork then to know how to "close the deal" as they say. Move in day was fun though as I had some upperclassmen there to help me put up my loft, and our hall instantly became friends. The group trips to Cottage Inn in the winter on Sunday nights were fun. Since I lived in a "nerd hall" (according to my Central campus friends) that just happened to have a group of 5-6 good looking females living on my hall, for the re-release of Star Wars into the theatres in early 1997, all the girls dressed as "slutty Star Wars chicks" for us going to the movie together. After that night I understood why I got all tingly as a youngster seeing Princess Leia in the barge bikini scene. Good times, good times.
August 16th, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
It's funny. Much of college is a blur, what with the copious amounts of alcohol that seemed to find its way to me. I have scant memories of specific classes. And have fleeting memories of even the dorm configuration of Mosher-Jordan (where I lived).
But I can remember with total clarity the moment my parents said their goodbyes, and drove off leaving me at the front door of the dorm. I can remember the momentary (fleeting) sense of panic that enveloped me. And I can recall me telling myself to hold it together. That everything was gonna be ok -- and to NOT let my mother see me get emotional.
It all worked out of course. As soon as I got back to my room, I started the process of making lifelong friends. But wow -- that's among my life's most powerful vivid memories.
August 16th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
Man I remember my own move-in day when I was a lad in Virginia Tech. Hope you all enjoy yours too. Going to college for the first time is a great experience! Just remember to study hard, a lot of people just come in, coast, pick a bad major, etc. If you get off to a good start you'll do well :)
August 16th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
We had this thing called 5th Van Dine. Around 5pm, someone would go into the hallway and start walking towards the stairs yelling 5TH VAN DINEEEEE. Then they would be joined for dinner by any and all others who were hungry and/or in their rooms doing nothing.
Also, we were the biggest bunch of alcoholics Markley saw that year (2007-08). I have never seen a Puker sign since 5VT. Whoever puked the night before would wake up to the Puker sign on their door.
August 16th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
Sunday I got home from the 21st annual golf trip I have with my college buddies. Among many other courses, the core of the group has played "The Torch" at A-Ga-Ming at least once per summer since 1991. Of the 8 guys golfing, 4 were on 7th floor Thronson (in South Quad) in 1989, and 1 was on 7th floor Huber. Two others moved into 8th Thronson the following year. The 8th is a newcomer -- I've only known him for 13 years.
As others have said, it is truly remarkable how the people around you those first couple days will become your best friends for life. A few years back, we were teeing off on #1 when someone realized that the kids currently packing for their first year at Michigan weren't even BORN when we started our golf tradition.
In addition to all having successful careers and enjoying tailgating together for every year since, one is Godfather to my son, and another's wife is Godmother to one of my daughters.
Like some other posters, I was in the MMB, so got to move in early. My first night in South Quad involved Euchre, beer, and listening to the premiere of "Love in an Elevator" by Aerosmith. I remember it VIVIDLY. In addition to cards, driking, and watching sports, our South Quad house participated in just about every single intramural sport in the Res Hall league.
My golf buddies, who would also end up being my roomates at 554 S. Fifth Ave, and I partied, played Tecmo Bowl on the original NES, and played IM hoops and flag football for all four years of school.
August 17th, 2011 at 1:05 AM ^
Move-In for me was only 2009. Alice Lloyd was the best. 12 by 19 rooms by the end of the year our room had like a sleeping area and then the futon area with the tv and other chairs. I think that was my favorite part moving stuff around to find the best way to set up the room.
...and reading over everyone's memories, plus driving around watching the St. Patty's day festivities on campus last night, has me all nostalgic now.
I remember the car ride there, because my parents kind of forgot I was in the car and started talking about the '60s and early '70s -- in retrospect they were probably having that "omigod we're the PARENTS of college kids, not college kids" moment. Anyway it was fascinating to me.
I don't remember much of the day except I helped a smokin' hot flag girl move her couch in.
But I remember that night. My roommate and I decided to go exploring Ann Arbor, and somehow we ended up roving around South Quad at something-a.m. with pockets full of beers. There we stumbled upon either a room of three girls, or a room where three girls were hanging, or whatever: there were three girls. The only thing I knew about Ann Arbor was the Fleetwood (my dad's old Game Day tradition) so we found that. Then nobody knew how to get the girls back to South Quad so we walked them all the way back to the hill before they were like "this is too far" and left. I don't think I ever ran into those girls again.