Freshmen Begin To Move Onto Campus At University Of Tulsa

The freshmen class at the University of Tulsa moved into campus on Wednesday.

Classes start on Monday and TU's President said the university has about 3,500 students this year, which puts them back to pre-pandemic numbers.

You know the saying 'go big or go home,' right? Well, TU went big to welcome its freshmen home. Families of freshmen pull up the University of Tulsa with cars packed full to the brim.

"Lots of dormify dot com going on," said Rylie Hancock, Freshman.

So, it begins... day one of four years.

"It's super cool. It almost feels like you're going to summer camp. The welcoming. The screaming... it just made me more excited and then the nerves kind of went away," said Hancock.

"I love that. What a warm welcome for the kids," said a mom as she drove onto campus.

"I remember that day quite well. Three years ago, 2019, came in actually through this exact street down Tucker drive. A lot of energy from Peer Mentors," said Asa Scott, Peer Mentor & Student Body VP.

Rylie Hancock can't wait to meet her track team and her roommates. "We have one from the Netherlands and one from England," said Hancock.

This is Brad Carson's second year as TU's president. He said there are more than 700 incoming freshmen--one of the largest freshmen classes ever, and about 100 transfer students, also making the largest transfer class in school history.

"This is an extraordinary time in their life. One of the great periods you always look back to and to use it as a chance to explore, to learn, to grow," said Brad Carson, TU President.

"It's about getting out of your comfort zone. We call it your comfort zone plus 1," said Scott.

And with the start of a new year, university leaders are staying vigilant watching COVID and Monkeypox closely.

"We're following CDC guidelines explicitly," said Carson. But Carson said at least for now it feels like the good old days.

"Super invigorating over this last year now, like right now I feel like is the first time I felt like we're back full steam. This reminds me of my freshman year," said Scott.

About 400 student volunteers were on hand today to help their new classmates move onto campus.