Campus life is abuzz as students return to MTSU. 

During a slight pause in the action of new and returning students moving into MTSU residence halls on Friday, a mother helping her son shared this with Housing and Residential Life personnel in Jim Cummings Hall:  “This is so organized,” she said.

Organized to a fine science. Approximately 3,000 students are getting comfortable in the university’s 14 traditional residence halls, two apartment complexes and two houses on Greek Row.

Led by the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, an army of volunteers — students, staff, administrators and even off-campus help — move like clockwork... it’s called “We-Haul,” an event where lots of bodies and moving parts assist their peers in carrying luggage, televisions, boxes and everything else students bring to their MTSU home away from home. 

Second-semester freshman Tierney Finnie of Nashville did not have We-Haul help last January as a new freshman. She said, “We-Haul is something different. I’m excited to have someone help.”

Tierney Finnie, a marketing major, said she is both “nervous and excited” because she wants to “make sure my grades stay up.” She added that she is “ready to kickoff the semester and ready for football games, late-night studying and early-morning classes.” 

Budding country-music singer Cody Powell, a freshman recording-industry major from Charlottesville, Virginia, said he has been “wanting to move for a long time,” to be closer to Nashville recording studios.

Two members of the Cody Powell Band, guitar players Colton Rhody and Stephen Nolan — are MTSU seniors, and will perform Wednesday, September 12th in the new Student Union Building.

Kelsey Hill-Gannon, of Sevierville, a May graduate of Sevier County High School, had plenty of family assisting with her move. They included younger sister Tori, her mother, Valerie Hill, and stepfather, Gene Thomas. “It’s going to be different, moving away from family,” said Hill-Gannon, who is undecided on her major, “but I wanted to get a real college experience. “I liked MTSU because the campus is all together, not spread out like UT-Knoxville.’’

Hopefully, the students settling into their classes will run as smoothly We-Haul helped with the move-in!

Earlier, MTSU Presicent Dr. Sidney McPhee told WGNS listeners that he expected around 26-thousand students this semester.