Liberty Univ.’s growth shown as students prepare for orientation

By Christa Desrets
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: August 14, 2008

Liberty University freshman Ethan Acree pulled up to his new home Wednesday morning prepared for several trips from the van to the dormitory.

Instead, a dozen Liberty students donned in red T-shirts and nametags greeted him at the curb, ready to help him unload.

“We pulled up a minute ago, and all his stuff is unloaded,” said his mother Anne Acree. “It’s amazing.”

Lynchburg’s population is growing by thousands this week as Liberty students return from near and far and prepare to start classes Monday.

About 11,300 residential students will attend the school this semester, an increase of 800 over the last school year. About 6,400 students will live in dorms.

New students, including freshmen and transfers, began the move-in process Tuesday. Returning students may move in starting Friday, said Dwayne Carson, director for the school’s Office of Student Leadership.

Orientation for new students starts this morningwith a convocation service.

“It’s a little chaotic,” he said after glancing at his watch Wednesday morning.

It was 11:30, and he still had 1,200 students expected to move in for the day.

Ian MacIntyre, a Liberty senior and spiritual life director, is one of more than a thousand students in the school’s student leadership program helping others move in.

“The parents, they’re in a little bit of shock because they don’t expect all this,” he said.

His group’s goal was to have each student’s entire car unloaded before they had finished the check-in process, which includes receiving keys and filling out an emergency contact form.

New to the dorm scene this year are roughly 280 spots in the Lynchburg Inn and Conference Center on Odd Fellows Road — formerly The Ramada — to supplement the full on-campus dorms.

The school began leasing the center in June. About half of its slots are for international students, Carson said.