Student-athletes, Resident Assistants, faculty, and staff helped first-year students move into their dorms on Thursday. From unpacking cars to chatting with newly minted undergrads about where they’re from and what they’ll be studying, the Bulldog community was ready to help and to welcome the new students to campus.
Bulldog beginnings: Bryant University welcomes the record-breaking Class of 2029
Aug 29, 2025,
by
Emma Bartlett
With dollies and moving carts rumbling along walkways and hype music pulsing from portable speakers, Bryant University welcomed its largest-ever incoming class on Thursday, August 28. Under a sunny sky and with a refreshing breeze at their backs, families from across the country and around the world arrived on campus — their cars packed with bins of clothing, room decor, precious mementos, and boxes of snacks. The energy was palpable as students moved into Bryant’s Bristol, Warren, Barrington, and Newport Houses — each step marking the beginning of a new chapter.
“The best part is seeing the relief on parents’ faces as we come over to help move their kids in,” said Warren Residence Hall RA Dylan Michuki ’27, who spent the morning aiding the newcomers by wheeling boxes from cars to dorm rooms. “They know that the university has their back from day one.”
For Bulldog dad Carl Denson P’29, who was dropping off his daughter Sydnee ’29, the day was filled with pride and anticipation.
“She worked hard to get here, and it’s the beginning of a beautiful journey,” he said.
From the excitement of first-year students beginning a new adventure to the nostalgia of returning students reflecting on their own move-in memories, the day was rich with emotion and Bulldog pride.
Here are a few moments that capture the spirit of Bryant’s Class of 2029 move-in day:
Eager to meet the Class of 2029, Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., greeted undergrads as they checked into their residence halls. Shaking hands with Finance major Colin Kacui '29, noted that he was excited to be on campus and make new friends. Move-in day always brings a swirl of emotions, including pride, excitement, and just a touch of sadness as families bid farewell. One Bulldog parent captured the mix perfectly with a T-shirt that read: “Fragile: I just dropped my kid off at college.” Ready with their Bulldog pride, (left to right) Biology major Solange Daluz ’27, Psychology major Ariana Kirton ’27, and Human Resources Management major Hazel Tuning ’26 welcomed residents to Newport House. For the Parker family, setting up Syd’s room was an all-hands on deck task. With her new space ready to go, the incoming Biology and Psychology double major laid out a special piece of home — a crochet blanket that her dad had made for her. Numerous furry friends made the trip to campus to wish their favorite humans good luck. The pooches — from one pup wearing a Bryant Bulldog bandana to a few others offering slobbery kisses — even made some new friends of their own among Bryant’s community members. As moving carts wheeled by and the number of empty cardboard boxes grew outside dorm doors, Erin Crawford ’P29 and her son, Brayden ’29, a Sports Industries, Media, and Promotion major, were hard at work setting up his new space, including a Batman poster that made it feel like home. After a successful unpacking, undergrads concluded move-in day by gathering with their peers around Bryant Pond for the university’s IgNIGHT ceremony — an annual first-year tradition marking the start of their Bryant experience. One by one, the first-year students lit each other’s candles, symbolizing their connection as a community.
