DeKALB | NIU students and their families flocked to DeKalb Thursday for Move-In Day. They were met by student volunteers who helped unload cars and deliver students to their new rooms.

Several students and their families described the move-in process as well-organized and efficient.

“The whole day went smoothly,” said Alayne Williams, freshman fine arts major. “It didn’t take too long to get all settled in.”

Sophomore kinesiology major Brandon Brownfield said although there were no problems moving in, he enjoyed last year’s move-in day more.

“Last year was better because it was new,” Brownfield said. “This year, I already knew what was going to happen.”

Members of NIU’s Greek community helped families unload their vehicles and move students’ belongings into their rooms. Senior marketing major Brittany Sarkisian said there were two teams, one outside and one inside, helping students move their belongings into the residence halls. She also said the volunteers were there to help nervous freshmen feel welcome and to give a positive image of the Greek community.

Members of Refuge, a Lutheran Student Fellowship on campus, stood outside the Lincoln Residence Hall and handed out free bottles of water.

“It’s very humid today,” said Gretchen Ahrens, sophomore family and social sciences major. “We’ve given out about 4,000 bottles already.”

Comcast representatives held a scratch-off contest from their tent outside the Village Commons Bookstore. Dale Betts, Direct Sales Representative for Comcast, said several different electronic devices were given away, including Wii gaming systems and Flip camcorders.

“It was fun; everybody had a good time,” Betts said. “There was a lot of neat stuff going on.”

Some parents said although the move-in process went smoothly, there were some issues.

Judy Sitaras, mother of two NIU students, said traffic cones and road construction caused unwelcome confusion.

“We liked the cones, but we drove around in circles for 20 minutes,” Sitaras said.

Carol Miller, mother of freshman sociology major Kyle Miller, said she expected her son’s room in the Grant Residence Hall to look a little nicer.

“I kind of expected a fresh coat of paint,” Miller said.