The Class of 2021 is here and ready to make their mark on The Bluff.
On Thursday, 1,018 new Pilots made their way through propped open residence hall doors right into their new lives here on campus.
Nervous freshmen and worrying parents paraded from parking lots into the residence halls with rolly carts full of boxes in tow.
In addition to move-in, carnival like attractions popped up all over campus, making families feel at ease and excited about life on The Bluff. There was a bouncy castle in the East Quad, Rojo the Llama — assisting with move-in in Fields and Schoenfeldt, and a climbing wall in the Academic quad.
Amid giant purple carts and confetti cannons, Freshman Molly Lowney was excited about getting involved with intramural soccer.
“The community is unlike anywhere else and I think I can find my passion here,” Lowney says.
While some students have always dreamed of growing up to be Pilots, for others like Jimmy Meza, UP was a hidden gem: “I took a visit to the campus and fell in love!”
For Hector Ramos Diaz, a new resident of Shipstad hall, his fascination with quirky PDX was a big factor. In between moving in and the giant confetti cannon outside of Shipstad Hall this morning, Ramos Diaz, coming from California, said he chose UP because he visited Portland and fell in love with the city.
Many new Pilots were simply beaming with excitement and anticipation for what will be their college experience.
Even students whose hometowns are hundreds of miles away said they were consoled by the welcoming and helpful environment that they experienced, right when they stepped foot on The Bluff.
“Everyone is just so supportive — the smiles and everyone checking in,” said Abby McCarthy from Danville, CA.
Some, like incoming freshman Dallas Troutman were intrigued by the religious makeup of the Catholic university, and were excited to get a taste of what daily life is really like on The Bluff.
“I come from a spiritually mixed family and (I am) excited to get more into Christianity,” said Troutman, a freshman resident of Christie Hall.
For some, it’s the little things. Freshman Ace Calcagno says he is most excited for the food on campus.
These new students come from all over the nation and countries around the globe but are ready to call The Bluff home.
