Lindsey Wilson University Staff Members Prepare for a Blue Raider Wave

Returning students, freshmen and new students are set to arrive Aug. 22-23 on campus.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (08/18/2025) — After a busy summer on campus and beyond, the pace of life at Lindsey Wilson University is about to go from harried to hectic this weekend.

And the Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students' office couldn't be happier.

"It's a pretty exciting time," said Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students Chris Schmidt, who will begin his 31st Lindsey Wilson school year. "It's an incredible time because it's the start of a new chapter in our students' lives. The excitement of people chasing their dreams never gets old."

Students have been returning to campus since Aug. 4, when students who play on a fall sports team started to arrive in Columbia, followed by students who work in residence life. But this weekend, the steady stream of returning students will become a flood of Blue Raiders. Returning students will be back on campus on Friday, Aug. 22; the big day will be on Saturday, Aug. 23, when the remainder of the more than 500 new students will check in.

The freshmen and new students will come to Columbia from nearly 160 high schools located in almost half of Kentucky's 120 counties, two dozen U.S. states and more than three dozen countries. And while the freshmen and new students will include a large number of area students, the farthest distance a student will travel to campus will be 2,350 miles from the northern California city of Vacaville.

After move-in weekend is completed, more than 1,000 students will be living in Lindsey Wilson residence halls, which will expand the size of Columbia's population by more than 20%.

Fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 25, which is part of a week of activities designed to welcome, connect and assimilate the Class of 2029 and other new students into the Lindsey Wilson community.

A first year

This fall semester will also mark the inaugural year of Lindsey Wilson University. Lindsey Wilson became a university on July 1, a moment that university officials say has created a "buzz" throughout campus.

"I'm probably as excited or more excited for this move-in as I ever have been because of the name change to Lindsey Wilson University," said Assistant Dean of Students Abe Cross, who will be starting his 17th Lindsey Wilson school year. "There's just a certain buzz around this move-in. We get one chance to have our first Lindsey Wilson University move-in, and we're excited to welcome the new class."

As Cross noted, "everything we do about move-in weekend and welcome week is focused on community building."

"Our staff is so good at creating opportunities for folks to develop and join their community," said Cross. "They make sure that students have something to do when they get here, are introduced to the Lindsey Wilson community and ready for a good start to the school year."

A 'new journey in life'

Among the Lindsey Wilson staff members charged with helping the freshmen and new students integrate into Blue Raider campus life are Director of Student Activities Stephanie Blackwood and Director of Residence Life Breeana Downs '24.

Blackwood is responsible for orchestrating an opening weekend and welcome week that include a number of activities, including a picnic at the Emily D. Hundley President's Home, "Aloha LWU with the Library," encore performances of the Lindsey Wilson TheatreFest! summer production of Shiloh Rules and pre-game activities before the Blue Raiders' first home football game, which will be against Texas Wesleyan University at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, Aug. 28, at Parnell Family Stadium.

Downs spent the end of last week with the eight professional staff members of Lindsey Wilson's residence life office training the nearly three dozen resident assistants who live in the university's residence halls.

"I really enjoy getting to interact with our new students and their parents, and helping them transition during this exciting time," said Downs. "We look forward to providing our students with a safe and comfortable place to live on campus."

Downs said that the resident assistants, known as RAs, play an especially important role in helping freshmen and new students adjust to Lindsey Wilson life.

"We want them to be like a big brother or big sister to them," said Downs. "We want them to be someone they can look up to as they begin this new journey in life."

And Schmidt said that it will be a journey with "a lot of smiles."

"I think this whole year is going to be filled with a lot of excitement and energy because it is the first year of Lindsey Wilson University," he said. "You're going to see a lot of smiles."

But as Schmidt will tell the parents of freshmen and new students this weekend, move-in weekend and opening weekend will be the bookends of an exciting journey.

"I tell parents all the time, 'If you think that opening weekend is exciting, wait until you show up on commencement day -- that's the most exciting and exhilarating day,'" he said.

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