---
title: A ‘Welcome’ Return
date: 2021-08-30T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/a-welcome-return"
section: Articles
---
# A ‘Welcome’ Return

*August 30, 2021* — by [Maryland Today Staff](/author/maryland-today-staff)


> During Move-in Weekend, Students Roll Into Life on a Revitalized Campus

*Hero DSC 1224 1920x1080 — Evan Defonce ’25 of Fairfield Conn., moves into new Pyon Chen Hall on Thursday, just before Welcome Weekend events kicked off. The Department of Resident Life scheduled a full slate of social activities, tours, entertainment and information sessions to help students new to campus make connections and learn about all the resources available to them.*

Hanging clothes in a residence hall closet, eating salad in a dining hall and discovering a lively crowd on McKeldin Mall might not seem special in another year. Yet these were among the little celebrations that students moving to the University of Maryland campus got to savor during Fall Welcome after more than a year of life upended by the COVID pandemic.

About 11,000 undergraduates, including many sophomores who spent Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 at home learning virtually—enjoyed a near-normal move-in, with balloons, pumping dance music and revved-up staffs in the residence hall lobbies. (The biggest difference from the Before Times? Everyone was asked to mask up indoors.)

“Move-in weekend is one of the best times of year for us in Resident Life,” said Dennis Passarella-George, senior associate director in the Department of Resident Life. “We are excited to start the fall semester, and living in the residence halls offers students a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet friends, make connections and engage fully in life as a Terp.”

Once they’d hugged their families goodbye and settled into their rooms, they chose from Resident Life’s robust schedule of activities to get them out of those rooms and introduce them to the campus experience before classes begin today.

Among dozens of options, they scooped up swag, did community service and cheered on the Terps at several sporting events. In other words, they relished their first taste at Maryland.


*Student prepares to decorate his single room in Caroline Hall*



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*Student checks in at Cumberland Hall*



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*Students hand out school supplies*



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*New Student Picnic*



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*Students play volleyball outdoors*



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*President Darryll J. Pines, center, and Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perrillo greet new Terps*



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*McKeldin Mall*



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*Student gets henna tattoo*



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*Students shoot pool*



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*Students at poster sale*



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*A screening of a “A Quiet Place II”*



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*Dance party*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)



**Units:** [Department of Resident Life](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-resident-life)