“I think part of it is meeting other people who are helping our students move in and learning about their experiences and getting their advice,” said President Simon. “I asked them ‘Outside of tuition and parking, what’s one thing we can do to improve Michigan State?’ and I get a little bit of feedback that way.”

Also in attendance for the event was Undergraduate Student Body President Lorenzo Santavicca and Scott Westerman, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association.

“It’s been a long summer for a lot of us that stay on campus, but it’s really time we see the parents and the community come together and say we’re ready for a new year at Michigan State.” said Santavicca. 

Executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, Westerman commented he has the most fun being able to have the opportunity to bring alumni back for move in. 

“We have over 500 Spartan alumni that have come back to the residence halls, where they lived to help unload these amazing vans of all of their bounty.” Westerman said. 

Giving some perspective from the angle of a senior, Santavicca looks back on his first move in day. 

"I remember when I moved in freshman year it was all making sure I had my stuff,” said Santavicca. “One of the biggest pieces of advice I would offer is to make sure you keep up on your sleep, eating healthy and making sure that you’re staying active in all your classes and your activities.” said Santavicca about the incoming students.

The move in process can be daunting for some students. The parking lots and lines to the front desk were jam-packed all morning and many students had to wait to unload their car and get to their rooms.

“It’s been quite the experience. There’s a lot of people here,” said Maxwell Wendling, a freshman majoring in electrical technology. “It’s kind of chaos right now, but I’m looking forward to it. Just to experience it is going to be something."

Thankfully, President Simon had some generous words of wisdom for the new students.

"Try to do something every week or every month that you wouldn’t have otherwise picked to do,” said President Simon. “Just try something new. A club, talking to people about a topic that might be new to you and break yourself out of your comfort zone."

Meeting new Spartans on move in day doesn’t seem to be a trend that will stop any time soon for President Simon. In fact, it’s a tradition of sorts.

“I’ve been doing it every year. So I’ve got a cool range of students. They all bring about the same things, yet the TV sets have gotten a little bit bigger.” President Simon said.