Campus Life

Photos by Ralph Freso and Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau It was the usual ebullient scene Wednesday as Grand Canyon University students moved into four residence halls (Ocotillo, Chaparral, Saguaro and Sedona) and two apartment buildings (Diamondback and Jerome).     

Photos by Ralph Freso and Travis Neely GCU News Bureau Tuesday’s Welcome Week activities at Grand Canyon University included the Beach Resort Party, eSports and Arcade Tournaments, Game Night (board games) and Night at the Movies, which featured “Avengers: Infinity War.”  

In the Technology Building, students played games via the glow of computers powered by tons of RAM and sharp graphics. Meanwhile, across campus, gaming took on a different look at the Modern Board Gamers Guild’s Game Night, where old-school tabletop board games was the call of the day. Either way, students networked and connected with each other during Welcome Week through high-tech and old-school gaming.

How do thousands of GCU students and their families make their way in cars, vans and U-Hauls from the perimeter of campus to their well-appointed residence hall rooms? Thousands of volunteers welcome them and move them in under the direction of Charity Norman, Director of Welcome Programs. GCU senior writer Theresa Smith embedded with Norman on Tuesday. One day earlier, she was shadowed by a video crew. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Move-In.

Photos by Ralph Freso and Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau A predawn thunderstorm threatened to delay Move-In on Tuesday, but it started on time as Grand Canyon University student volunteers helped their peers move into Agave Apartments, Cactus Apartments, Juniper Hall and Acacia Hall.  

Day 2 of Move-In included the Agave Apartments and the new Cactus Apartments, part of the foursome of six-story buildings that have become a destination for students who want a full kitchen, a living room and a separate bedroom. Their proximity to the new Colangelo College of Business Building and Canyon Activities Center make them that much more attractive. “It’s really nice that you can have an apartment on campus because you still feel safe and you still feel like you’re part of campus life,” sophomore Lexi King said.

Photos by Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau Move-In at Grand Canyon University got off to a rousing start early Monday morning as the student volunteers swiftly emptied car after car — and had a good time doing it.   

It wasn’t even quite 6 a.m. but the 2,700 volunteers were pumped up, electrified and ready to go. So Move-In volunteers opened the gates early, letting in a flood of cars carrying parents, new and returning Lopes, and their mattress toppers, bath caddies, mini refrigerators and the like. This morning marked the first day of Move-In, a party-like, high-energy scene of volunteers cheering on arriving vehicles, descending on them and moving out all those items in record time. It’s a scene that will be repeated over the next week. As one parent said of Move-In, “We heard stories. This exceeds the stories.”

The GCU dance team gained the respect of peer teams, via the Spirit Award, while learning 38 new dances and serving as ambassadors for each other and God. Eight members of the team took part in the United Spirit Association (USA) camp in Las Vegas and all 32 dancers participated in the United Dance Association (UDA) camp at the University of California-Santa Barbara. “We want to be ambassadors of our school, ambassadors of our faith, ambassadors of one another,” said Dance Coach Jacque Genung-Koch. “This is something I am most proud about. We built relationships. The instructors told me that our dancers inspired others. It was encouraging to be is shining for everyone else.”

Story by Ryan Kryska Photos by Travis Neely GCU News Bureau The grapevine is purple for a reason. It’s how sophomore Isiah Brown heard about the way Lopes do things, ultimately leading to his decision to join the herd this year on Grand Canyon University’s men’s basketball team. He said in April, “I can’t wait to meet them. I’ve heard great things …” and on Friday, faculty, staff, alumni and students showed him great things. “They are really about what they say they’re about,” Brown said. “It’s great helping the people that will be out supporting our team at the games.” Men’s basketball coach Dan Majerle said the team tries to make it out to volunteer during Welcome Week every year. “We want to be a big part of this university and the guys love being out here,” he said. The team was just one of the many groups of Lopes out before the sun to move in 1,100 Welcome Crew members, who in return will move in the remainder of on-campus student next week. Nine members of the University’s qualifying specialists department were among the Lopes moving in student volunteers. Qualifying specialist and alumna Hannah Miller was one of them, covering all […]