A line of cheering faces holding welcome signs greet a growing parade of cars as students drive to their new dorm buildings and receive the universal question: “What room are you in?”

Packages in every shape, size, and sturdiness float upon a river of hands helping new students move in. Existing students and staff in gray Geneva shirts greet nervous smiles with warmth, and hand out water bottles kept under a shading tent to alleviate the heat from the sun.

There are many kinds of new students moving in during welcome week. Some, like Jonathan ’30 is coming to the college that has educated his family for generations. Others are not only new to the college but the country altogether, like Hussain ’30, who is looking forward to running track. All have excitement resting on their skin next to the cardboard dust of move-in boxes. Students can shake hands with professors in the library or catch a golf cart ride to the rally in the Metheny Field House.

The new students receive enthusiastic cheers and high fives as they enter the fieldhouse, where they are encourage in the opening ceremony as they embark on their college adventure. The class of ‘30 join together on the gym floor for their first class photo and cheer as official Geneva students.

Students and their families spread out on the lawn under the shining August sky to the sound of soft rock hits, sharing a last farewell prayer, and perhaps a treat in the Class of 2020 Pavilion from the Beaver Falls Coffee & Tea Company, a local student favorite.

One more hug. One more photo. Then parents part ways as students find their major written on a poster out on Memorial lawn, where they not only meet other freshmen studying in the same field, they meet future friends, future prayer partners, future sojourners running the same race.

Move in day is a momentous day. But it is only the beginning.

See more photos of Move In Day and other Geneva events on Geneva’s Flickr page