Legacy families and first-time students settle into the Lorman campus for the fall semester

Alcorn State University welcomed its newest class of Braves on move-in day Wednesday, as new and transfer students filled the residence halls for the fall semester.

Some came from down the road. Others drove in from hundreds of miles away. By midmorning, the walkways were lined with carts, boxes and mini-fridges, and families were saying their first goodbyes.

The day was personal for President Tracy M. Cook, who welcomed his own son among the incoming class.

“It is a full circle moment for my wife and me to welcome our son to Alcorn, along with all of our new students and their families,” said President Cook. “Move In Day has always been one of my favorite times of year. I get to meet our incoming freshmen and transfer students and their loved ones who help ease their transition to the university. I want to thank our team for making this day special for every Alcorn family.”

Dr. Tracy M. Cook, in a purple Alcorn "SOAR" shirt, and his wife, Dr. Crystal Cook, in gold, stand with their son, Casey, in a residence hall hallway on Move-In Day.

Alcorn State University President Dr. Tracy M. Cook, right, and first lady Dr. Crystal Cook, left, pause with their son, Casey, after helping move him into his residence hall during Move-In Day on Wednesday. The Cooks were among hundreds of families welcoming new and transfer students to campus for the fall semester.

For freshman Addison Anderson, the day was years in the making. She is the latest in her family to enroll at Alcorn, following her mother, Emmarie Flaggs, a 2005 broadcast journalism graduate, and her grandmother, Linda Anthony, who earned a bachelor’s degree in 1975 and a master’s in 1977. Anderson plans to study mass communication and journalism — the same path her mother took.

“It feels so surreal,” Anderson said. “Alcorn was always my top pick.”

For Flaggs, the moment carried added weight. Her daughter survived a serious car accident, and watching her settle into a residence hall marked a milestone the family did not take for granted.

“It’s bigger than the yard,” Flaggs said. “It’s family.”

Anthony, an English major who spent four years working in the campus library, said the university’s spirit has not changed since she arrived in 1971.

“It’s a loving, kind, family atmosphere,” she said.

The legacy families were not alone.

Imani Jones stands with Carmello Miles, who holds the handle of a folding wagon, near a water fountain in the lobby on Move-In Day.

Freshman Imani Jones, left, moves into her residence hall as Carmello Miles, a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., helps haul her belongings during Move-In Day at Alcorn State University on Wednesday.

Imani Jones, a freshman from Chester, Pennsylvania, chose Alcorn for its nursing program and its sense of community.

The Carter family of Atlanta made the trip to watch their son, Julian Carter, begin his first year on the baseball team. It was their first time in Mississippi.

“So far, so good,” his mother, Stacy Carter, said. “Everyone we’ve talked to has been friendly and helpful.”

Young man in a brown Iota Phi Theta T-shirt and bucket hat stands by a ping-pong table in an Alcorn residence hall lounge.

Da’Marian Heard, a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., helps welcome new students during Move-In Day at Alcorn State University on Wednesday. Heard and his fraternity brothers volunteered to help freshmen and transfer students settle into their residence halls.

Members of several National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations pose together under a shade tree near a residence hall, with coolers and a fan set up to help during Move-In Day.

Members of Alcorn State University’s National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations gather near the residence halls during Move-In Day on Wednesday. Divine Nine members spent the day helping new and transfer students move in and welcoming families to campus.

Move-in day runs on volunteers. Members of Iota Phi Theta, one of the Divine Nine fraternities, spent the day hauling belongings up staircases and into rooms.

“We’re just here for the service,” Da’Marian Heard said.

A resident assistant in an Alcorn Department of Residence Life polo sits at a check-in table stacked with housing paperwork during Move-In Day.

Shatyra Gant, a resident assistant, staffs the check-in table as new and transfer students arrive during Move-In Day at Alcorn State University on Wednesday.

Two resident life staff members in gray Alcorn Department of Residence Life polos sit at a front desk during Move-In Day.

Christian Dunn, left, a resident assistant, and Jordan Hinds, a graduate assistant, staff the check-in desk during Move-In Day at Alcorn State University on Wednesday, helping students and families get settled into their new living space.

Resident assistants worked the halls too, checking registrations and steadying first day nerves. Shatyra Gant, a resident assistant who has worked throughout the day, said it all comes down to patience.

By afternoon, the boxes were mostly unpacked. The goodbyes were done. A new class had arrived to the yard.

For more photos from Move-In Day, follow Alcorn State University on Facebook and Instagram at @alcornstateu.