Photo by Samantha Davis: Southwest Minnesota State University students and faculty helped move in the new incoming students for the new school year on Thursday.

MARSHALL — With the new school year’s start just days away, several Southwest Minnesota State University students and faculty were on campus Thursday to welcome and help move-in the next incoming class into their dorms.

Upon arriving on campus, incoming freshmen and their families were promptly greeted with a helping hand and energetic energy from SMSU’s Mustang Movers on site.

“Meeting new people, creating a welcome environment, seeing people smile, explaining things to people and helping (is fun),” current SMSU junior Katrina Timm said of the day’s excitement.

There were also several student orientation leaders around campus to point people in the right direction and answer any questions.

“It’s a rewarding thing watching students slowly come out of their shell … You watch them become themselves,” SMSU junior Arlo Riemer said. “The first year of college is so scary, and a lot of the time, they come from smaller towns and they haven’t had the opportunity to explore themselves.”

Both Riemer and Timm were serving as an orientation leader on Thursday, both of their second year’s doing so.

Mustang Movers were everywhere around campus, driving golf carts to and from after loading them up with student belongings to alleviate the moving stress for the newcomers.

When it comes to what new first-year students can expect to enjoy about SMSU, current students affirmed its the welcoming atmosphere and diversity of the university.

“It’s such a small campus that we will end up seeing them and we can say, ‘Hi,’ and they’ll be able to recognize faces,” Timm said. “It’s really easy to connect when you just see people in the hallway. You can’t go two feet without saying, ‘Hi.’ It’s true, it really is.”

“(When walking around campus), it’s like, ‘I don’t know you, but I’m proud of you,'” Riemer added. “It’s nice. It’s such a small campus, and we do have a pretty good, diverse population, which is nice.”

Whether students are coming from around the area or making a lengthy trip to pursue their degree, current students also mentioned it’s easy to meet others.

“I came from a very small town around here, and there wasn’t a very diverse population where I came from,” Timm said. “Being able to come here and learn about other people, and their culture and how they grew up, even if it was similar or not similar to mine, it was very interesting being able to learn that.”

There were a few tents across campus with more students and faculty around that offered water and as a source for information, as the day’s heat continued to rise.

SMSU will begin classes and get the new school year started on Monday, but students will have the opportunity to socialize and have fun over the weekend before heading to the classroom to help ease the transition.

SMSU also hosted a Club Carnival Thursday night, for incoming students to learn more about the university’s clubs.

Students will be able to play sand volleyball and kickball today during the activity block, along with friendship bracelet making, board games and a headphone disco later in the evening.

A plethora of activities for incoming and current students continue throughout Sunday, like mini golf, a bonfire, a pool party, yoga and more when taking breaks from classroom and campus tours.

“It’s been really fun. I love to see the pins on people’s backpacks as I’m moving them in, like, ‘Hey I like that show,'” Riemer said. “Seeing all of the fun things. It’s like a look into somebody’s little life as I’m [helping] moving them in. It’s really fun.”