It’s the unofficial end to summer in Waterloo, Ont. – move-in weekend. From Aug. 28 to 31, thousands of first-year undergraduate students are expected to settle into their new environments at the University of Waterloo (UW) or Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU). On Friday, excitement filled the air on both campuses. “Extremely excited that I’m going to be here in Laurier, extremely nervous to see how the year goes,” said Noah Vince. Vince is the first in his family to attend university in Canada. He’s moving into WLU’s Bricker Residence and brought a whole crew from Mississauga, Ont. to help. “This is my aunt, this is my dad, this is my uncle, this is my mom, this is my little brother and sister, my little cousin,” he said. Vince also invited his parish priest. “He asked if a priest could come and bless his dorm,” said St. Alphonsa Parish priest, Father Francis Akkarapattiekal. “And I thought it was a great way to start to bring God into the next four years as a new stage in his life.” Idana Vitale and Maya Quach moved into their residence building on Thursday. “I was actually nervous to move in just because of the amount of stuff I had,” said Vitale. “It was just very nerve-wracking to me.” Luckily, both Vitale and Quach said they’re finding their bearings. “We have a group chat with everybody, so it was really easy meeting new people,” said Quach. “It can be a lot to get out of your comfort zone, to attend any orientation events, to start talking to new people who might have different experiences or backgrounds than you, but really, get out of your comfort zone and make the most of it,” said UW campus housing spokesperson Pamela Hurvid. Students weren’t the only ones getting out of their comfort zones. “It’s really exciting, but it’s a little sad,” said UW parent Lisa Brake. “He’s my baby. We’re going to be empty nesters, and so a big change at home.” “I’m holding myself together,” said Roger Townsend, another UW parent. “I’ll probably shed a few tears, probably when he’s gone … it’s going to be tough.” Despite students’ excitement, some said they have mixed emotions, too. “My family is just, they’re always there for me,” said Connor McMahon, a first-year UW student. “I’m gonna miss them, but they’re excited for me, and I’m excited for myself.” There are also several road closures planned in Waterloo, as well as in and around the University of Guelph.
