The 2015 orientation weekend kicked off on Thursday with resident freshmen moving into their rooms. After getting their keys, photo IDs and parking stickers in the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development, students and their families began the ritual that symbolizes a transition to independence.

Vans, SUVs, trucks and crossovers, packed to the gills with refrigerators and televisions, filled the Living and Learning Center lots. The families had lots of help as they prepared to haul the necessities for college life into elevators and down long hallways. Members of several Knights athletic teams were poised to assist, dressed in colorful tee shirts and often accompanied by their coaches.

Other weekend activities include a Friday play fair on the Mirenda Center lawn, a reception for international students, family Mass, and a welcome luau.

Saturday’s schedule features a morning of service with students spending two hours helping a local organization. Among them are Catholic Charities of Chester, Drexel Neumann Academy, Fair Acres, Friendship House Clothing Bank, the Marine Corps League in Upland, Newlin Grist Mill, St. Katharine Drexel Food Cupboard, and Tyler Arboretum.

A scavenger hunt, games on the quad, an INT 101 class, and a late-night comedy and magic show will round out the Saturday agenda.

Classes begin on Monday, August 31.