Pitt students move into Oakland

Forbes and Fifth avenues remained gridlocked with cars on Tuesday as giant blue carts rumbled… Forbes and Fifth avenues remained gridlocked with cars on Tuesday as giant blue carts rumbled down the sidewalk in front of the William Pitt Union.

And then there was an earthquake.

People on campus felt the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Virginia, just before 2 p.m. However, even the earth shaking did not shake up freshman move-in Tuesday and Wednesday at the University.

“Move-in did not halt for a second,” Ashley Whoolery, Arrival Survival volunteer, said. She was helping conduct traffic when a police officer got word of the quake.

“We had no idea, couldn’t even feel it,” the sophomore said.

Whoolery, one of about 500 student volunteers working this week, helped incoming freshmen and their parents move the new Panthers’ possessions from their vehicles to their dorm rooms starting at 8 a.m.

The annual move-in week snarls traffic and shuts down roads throughout Oakland as Pitt’s new freshman class of more than 3,000 moves into the dormitories, followed by upperclassmen. About 40 percent of Pitt’s 15,000 students live on campus, and most move in this week.

As a result of the rapid influx of returning students, Pitt’s Department of Parking and Transportation shut down three roads on campus.

Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes and Fifth avenues will not be opened to traffic Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lothrop Street remains closed between Fifth Avenue and Victoria Way from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m Friday.

University Drive B is shut down between Allequippa Street and University Drive A Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On the first move-in day, Shawn Brooks, director of residence life, stood in the center of Schenley Quad observing the free food and festivities for the newcomers.

“It’s going really, really smoothly,” he said, glad that the previous week’s power outage didn’t repeat itself. “Can you imagine if the power would’ve been out?”

Brooks said cars began lining up on Forbes and Fifth avenues as early as 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The quad activities end at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, but students can move in at any time once the doors opened Tuesday morning.

Lindsay Jones and her family reached Forbes Avenue at 7:45 a.m. Her family left Philadelphia on Monday and stayed at the Mariott on Bigelow Boulevard overnight for easy access to her new school-year home.

After three loads of items brought into Holland’s sixth floor, Jones completed her move in just after noon. While Jones beat most of the traffic, volunteers heard parents complain about the backups.

“Some of them are kind of cranky from waiting, but for the most part it’s not bad,” junior Arrival Survival volunteer Emily Eagleton said.

Eagleton also directed traffic on Fifth Avenue during her shift. She said the team of students lining the road in yellow neon Arrival Survival shirts occasionally knocked on car windows welcoming the new students to the University.

“They all seem eager to talk to us,” she said.

Along Fifth Avenue, Lynn Snyder of the South Hills sat on the edge of her car’s trunk Tuesday afternoon while her daughter carted luggage into Tower B. Today marked the day Snyder’s daughter, Molly, entered university life.

“It takes 20 minutes tops,” Snyder said about her average drive into Oakland. Today, with heavy traffic, the drive turned into a 45-minute standstill.

Closer to the move-in madness, Mary Kay and Richard Blair sat on a bench on Towers Patio, Swiffer in hand, amongst move-in carts and volunteers. The two awaited the arrival of their nephew to move into Tower B’s sixth floor.

“It took us 30 minutes to move three blocks,” Mary Kay said. “We spent most of that time on Forbes.”

The couple drove from Richmond, Va., Monday night in preparation for Tuesday’s move. They stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn about three miles from campus.

Sophomore volunteer Eva Fitch said she heard some complaints of traffic, but most of the parents and students in attendance were overpowered with excitement and curiosity.

“It’s tough, but everyone is happy to be here,” she said.