LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — While schools and businesses brace for potential closings, Transylvania University opened its doors to returning students a few days early. Residence halls opened at noon Friday, giving students a chance to get in ahead of the weather.
“Students were scheduled to come in Sunday,” said Megan Moloney, the vice president of marketing and communications at Transylvania. “They’ll start coming in today now in advance of the weather front that we’re expecting for Sunday and Monday.”
At the start of the fall semester, campus is teeming with excitement at move-in. First-year students even receive help when they move into their dorms. At the start of the spring semester, however, students are responsible for themselves. That’s why it’s important for some of them to get to campus and move in before the sidewalks turn slick.
“I know I spoke with some people coming from eastern Kentucky and this is their prime opportunity to come back,” said Quincy Elliott, a sophomore RA at Transylvania. “Coming back here on campus a little early just provides a great safety option for them.”
“We do want to give people the opportunity not to have to deal with what it looks like the weather may be on Sunday when they were supposed to come in,” Moloney said.
Over winter break, Transylvania’s “hibernation period” helps the school conserve energy and rest the staff. As part of this process, residence halls power down and close from the day final exams end to the day before classes begin.
Staff returned Thursday and made the decision to move up the residence hall move-in opening, which will allow students to settle in ahead of the weather.
“Students were scheduled to come in Sunday,” Moloney explained. “They’ll start coming in today now in advance of the weather front that we’re expecting for Sunday and Monday, so as they come back in they’ll be taking their rooms back up to temperature, plugging devices back in, that sort of thing.”
For Elliott, the early return adds a little excitement and some extra time with friends.
“The kind of norm of everybody’s responses is that they do want to come back to campus,” he said. “Leaving for winter break is like leaving your best friends at college, so everybody’s always eager to get back to campus.”
Of course, students are not required to move in during the early period.
“We just want to give them the opportunity to make that choice and do what’s best for them,” said Moloney.
Residence halls will be open Saturday and Sunday for returning students. Transylvania will continue monitoring the conditions throughout the weekend and will later decide whether Monday’s classes will take place online or in-person.
