Rain failed to sever community ties to NIU on Move-In Day Thursday.

Amidst move-in day, DeKalb Mayor John Rey and Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy were on the scene at New Residence Hall helping students move into their dormitories.

“It’s exciting to see 4,000 students moving into the community and the residence halls,” Rey said. “It’s just neat to see this increased activity in the community.”

Rey said he expects to see more cooperation between NIU and the community during his four-year term as mayor.

“NIU is the biggest economic engine we have in the whole area,” Mundy said. “Sycamore loves NIU. We’re ready to work with President [Doug] Baker. I’ve met him several times and we’re ready to go.”

Freshman biochemistry major Victor Espinoza said it felt amazing to have the mayor of DeKalb help him move into his residence hall.

“I did not expect that,” Espinoza said. “I think DeKalb is a special place.”

Also in attendance at Move-In Day were Baker; Bill Nicklas, vice president for public safety and community relations; State Rep. Bob Pritchard and second ward alderman Bill Finucane.

“[Move-In Day] illustrates a couple of things that I’m trying to do as president,” Baker said. “One is to ensure student career success, this living-learning environment that we’re in is part of building those skills, and the other is to build community: build community on campus so we’re working together and then build community in DeKalb and Sycamore.”

Darren Mitchell, NIU’s acting police chief, said seeing the community come together for NIU on Move-In Day as it did on Thursday is not a new tradition.

“For the city to thrive, it needs a strong university,” Baker said.