Carleton University’s campus has come alive again after the summer with new and returning students moving into residence for the 2022-2023 academic year between Sept. 1 and Sept. 4.
Students arrived to move into residence between 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. each day, parking along Campus Avenue, Pedestrian Boulevard and Carleton parking lot P6.
Engineer FROSH coordinators and residence fellows welcomed students and helped unload their belonging while dancing and singing to the upbeat “Pop That Trunk.”
Approximately 3,600 students will be living on campus this year. Housing is at full capacity this year, after the university lifted COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to Glengarry House Residence Fellows Myra Amoah and Jarukson Jeevakumar.
The Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) set up a booth in the quad behind the Residence Commons building.
Gialina Jiang, RRRA President, said the large number of people together on campus was a sign of things to come.
“We are seeing a lot of campus stakeholders out this year to welcome students back and then you see a lot more FROSH coordinators, orientation coordinators and residence fellows walking around,” she said. “It feels more united and like we are moving towards a more in-person campus than we have seen in the past three years.”
“The drive over was a little stressful, but after that it was pretty easy. [There are] lots of people [here] to help,” Salopek said. “I love [the campus] and I like the energy.”
Salopek shared that like many first-years, he is nervous but excited about living in residence and keeping up with course work.
Salopek’s father, Rob, and little brother, Evan, said they’re excited for Salopek’s big change.
“I’m used to having him in the house so much, it’s going to be a big change,” Evan said.
For Rob, having his eldest son go off to university is a bittersweet moment.
“He’s only 17 and it’s four and a half hours from home,” he said. “It seems so sudden but I’m excited for him to graduate and become an established member of society,” Rob said.
Ethan said he is eager to start in-person classes after attending the majority of his high school education online.
“I’m a little more extroverted so having in-person lectures and people to bounce ideas off of is really going to help my studies,” he said.
Alessandro Gianna, an upper-year political science student with a minor in Indigenous studies, said he’s once again looking forward to living in residence.
“I’m always looking forward to the community [and] the environment that residence has,” Gianna said. “I keep coming back … I really enjoy it.”.
Steven Reid, media relations officer at Carleton, said in an email to the Charlatan the university is taking steps to ensure a successful and smooth transition back to in-person learning and living in residence.
He added Carleton’s “Return of Ravens” programming will offer a variety of in-person and online events for students to participate in and make connections through.
“We know that the fall term will, for many, mark a return to campus after a significant time away,” he wrote. “Students living in residence will have opportunities to participate in events in their own community and residence-wide.”
Featured image by Anya Swettenham.
