College move-in day: Stony Brook freshmen bid farewell to parents

Seventeen-year-old Taso Bakatsias spent Monday hauling his belongings up the stairs of Irving Hall, but that wasn't the hardest part about moving into his dorm for the first time.

For Bakatsias, a freshman planning on studying Spanish language and literature at Stony Brook University, the most difficult task was saying goodbye to his family.

"They’re not that far away, but ... I get homesick easily, so just to know that they are a few hundred miles away is kind of sad," he said.

Bakatsias was one of hundreds of freshmen moving into Stony Brook University on Monday as the university kicked off its new school year with freshmen move-in week.

While classes don't start until Aug. 24, the newbies can expect a week of events to help them get acclimated to campus, including orientation activities, community-building events and a barbecue at Staller Steps on Monday featuring food and performances from the university marching band.

Stony Brook President Andrea Goldsmith said the events are designed to help freshmen feel at home as they begin their college experience. Classes begin next week.

She said this week is designed to "help them understand they’re not here alone. They have a huge support network."

For Bakatsias, the transition also came with some help from family. His parents, Mike and Eleni Bakatsias, have become something of seasoned pros at move-in day. Taso is their third son to attend Stony Brook.

Mike Bakatsias said the hardest part of his day was "wrestling with your child’s anxiety about being in a new location and just trying to logistically get through the day. Letting them just process what’s going on."

Taso said starting college means trying to be being open-minded to a new experience while still being anxious.

"I’m excited to start a new chapter among new people," he said. "I’m nervous about classes ... it’s a little different because I’m actually here on campus 24/7 now."

For his parents, the move also marks another transition: getting used to life as empty nesters.

"My wife and I will be home," Mike Bakatsias said. "I think right now we’re just caught up on missing the boys. As that wears off, you know, we should probably go out to dinner more and cook less."

Across campus, other families were experiencing their own firsts.

Janay Barnes, 17, of Brooklyn, was moving into Benedict Hall with the help of her mother, Brittany Morris.

"I’m most excited for freshman week ... It’s my last week of freedom," she said as she and her mother unloaded their packed car.

This isn’t Barnes’ first time moving out. She attended Stony Brook’s Educational Opportunity Program over the summer, where she lived on campus for five weeks and began taking some classes.

Barnes is the oldest sibling, with a 3-year-old brother at home. For Morris, seeing her daughter leave for college has been emotional.

"When she first left, walking past her room, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s really gone,’ and then I was like, ‘You’re gonna be going again,’ ” Morris said. "So it’s just a big difference, a happy difference."

For Goldsmith, who is beginning her second year as president, move-in week is also an opportunity to build the community she hopes students will carry with them throughout their time at Stony Brook.

"Every day this week is to really help students understand this is their home for the next four years or more, and we want them to succeed," she said.