Move-in on the Mountain: Liberty greets new students, families with big welcome party

An electric atmosphere covered Liberty University this week as thousands of new students and their families arrived on campus for move-in. Student leaders with Liberty’s housing and spiritual development teams greeted new arrivals across campus, including from the newly opened North Suites, with an abundance of smiles, cheerful music, and helpful hands to unload their belongings.

For the 4,800 new residential undergraduate students coming to campus this fall, move-in and Welcome Week serve as their introduction to Liberty’s culture. President Dondi E. Costin said move-in and Welcome Week is about making new students feel at home and reassuring parents that their children are safe and cared for.

“You can only make one first impression, and the first impression that these Resident Shepherds, RAs, and CGLs make says ‘Liberty loves you, and we’re so glad you’re here,’” Costin said. “We’re so excited to have parents delivering their students here so they can become Champions for Christ.”

Costin and Chancellor Jonathan Falwell joined student leadership Wednesday and Thursday mornings to greet new students, speak with parents, and assist move-in efforts.

“With our mission being to Train Champions for Christ, I think this is just the first moment for parents to see that this is a place where their children will be trained, equipped, encouraged, and launched to go out and make an impact around the world,” Falwell said. “We’re excited to be a part of it.”

Returning students started moving in on Friday; classes start on Monday.

For Clint and Shannon Mohr, parents of incoming freshman Elly Mohr, the welcoming environment eased the stress. The Mohr family drove in from southern Illinois the previous day and said they were encouraged to be greeted by other students at Residential Commons I.

“Everybody was super friendly, made (Elly) feel welcome, made us feel welcome, it was great,” Shannon Mohr said. “She’ll be safe here and well-loved.”

Elly Mohr, who will be studying music and worship, said she felt welcomed as soon as she stepped on campus and is more excited than ever about the year ahead.

“It feels like the joy of the Lord just permeates the atmosphere here,” Elly Mohr said. “Everyone’s so friendly and willing to meet new people.”

For many students, move-in and the Welcome Week activities that follow are opportunities to forge lasting friendships. The stories go back decades. In 1996, when Christy (Prantner) Bonavita (’00) moved into the Hill as a freshman, she was only supposed to have two roommates but met an unexpected third, Becky (Gilbert) Clark (’00). After overcoming the shock of a surprise roommate, Bonavita quickly warmed up to Clark.

“That was probably one of the greatest blessings of my life because she has been my best friend ever since,” said Bonavita, who watched her life come full circle as she moved in her son, Braeden, on Thursday — along with Clark and her son, Lincoln, Braeden’s roommate.

Clark and Bonavita stayed close friends during their time at Liberty, rooming together each year and even serving as resident assistants (RAs). They lived together after graduating, too, until Bonavita married. Both families stayed in Lynchburg until the Clarks moved to Tennessee 10 years ago, but both families have remained close.

They said they were excited to repeat the tradition 30 years later.

“We want them to be in a God-honoring and God-centered place, and there’s no other university on the planet like that but Liberty,” Becky Clark said.

For the incoming freshmen, seeing the impact Liberty had on their parents makes the year ahead even more exciting. Lincoln Clark said he can’t wait to start having his own LU experiences: “Meeting people. Making Jesus known, getting to know Him better. And just the memories — we’re going to be making a lot of memories.”

New students will have plenty of opportunities to connect with the different offices on campus through various Welcome Week activities, including New Student Convocation held Friday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Vines Center. Hosted by the Office of Spiritual Development, Convocation introduced them to the largest bi-weekly gathering of Christian young people in the world.

One way the university works toward the mission of Training Champions for Christ is through the extensive student leadership network. Of the nearly 16,000 residential students expected at Liberty this fall, about 9,500 are living on campus, including hundreds of student leaders. Every student in a residence hall has at least five student leaders to support them: a Community Group Leader (CGL), two Resident Shepherds (RS), and two RAs. All five leaders are trained and supported by the Office of Residence Life and the Office of Spiritual Development.

Helping make the move-in experience a moment to remember is a highlight of the year for many student leaders. Sophomore Ben Moyer, who is serving as a CGL on Residential Commons II, said it’s an opportunity to set the tone for the students’ time on campus.

“This is a campus that actually really cares about you, that’s unlike any other campus,” Moyer said. “We’re Christ-centered, so we’re trying to show the love of Christ in helping you move in.”

Liberty’s student leadership is heavily involved with the move-in experience, working to make the process as easy and welcoming as possible. Their efforts on move-in day help things run smoothly, as they unload cars, answer questions, and welcome families to campus, but their involvement goes even

beyond. Amy Tompkins, a junior serving as a Community Group Leader in Residential Commons I, said she was excited to participate in the welcome party this year.

“Last night we got to pray over all of the campus and all of the rooms (on our halls),” Tompkins said. “Just seeing the background of what goes into this even before all the people get here is so cool. I had no idea that happened before I was a part of it.”

Welcome Week events, including the Back to School Bash on Thursday night, Flames Kick-Off on Friday, Outdoor Open Mic on Saturday and Campus Community Night of Worship on Monday night, will continue throughout this week and the next, wrapping up with the annual Block Party Saturday, Aug. 29 from 5-10 p.m. to celebrate the end of the first week of classes.