Days after a mandatory freshmen-housing proposal was shot down by UH alumnus and state senator John Whitmire, 700 volunteers, also called “Cougar Movers,” helped move in 7,000 residents for the fall semester, marking the largest move-in effort in campus history.

“We recruit student organizations as well as individuals who are proud Cougars with a heart for volunteering,” said Cougar Crew Member Madison Richards. “(They) provide a positive experience for all students moving onto campus, showing the University cares and what it means to be a Houston Cougar.”

This is the second year the UH Housing and Residential Life Department has used the Cougar Movers to help incoming freshmen get into their new homes smoothly. The program was started last year when the department took notice of the chaos that resulted from the dramatic rise in students living on campus.

“It’s just great seeing their reaction to seeing us,” said student volunteer Daniel Osinloye. “A lot people were not expecting us to be out there helping them. We take everything up for them and unload … (and) make it as easy for them as we can.”

The 7,000 new student residents this fall come on the heels of Whitmire’s claim that UH will never be a destination school. UH has increased on-campus living facilities radically since President and Chancellor Renu Khator was appointed in 2008. Thanks to the three new dorms built — Cougar Villages 1 and 2 and the Calhoun Lofts, along with the reconstruction of Cougar Place — UH now offers the second most number of beds in Texas for on-campus living.

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“Following housing controversy, UH has largest number of residents move onto campus” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar