Springfield, Ohio - The Wittenberg University campus is bustling with activity as students and their parents unload boxes upon boxes of necessary 'stuff' to outfit their new homes. Move-in day for new students began on Wednesday, Aug. 21, and the residence halls are still being packed with all the comforts from home as the class of 2006 prepares for their first year of campus life. Upperclassmen are readying themselves for the year ahead also, at a time when the reality of the end of summer and the return to academics becomes blurred.

Debbie Heida, Wittenberg's vice president and dean of students shared some facts about the class of 2006 at the President's open house. The class consists of 52 percent women and 48 percent men and of those 11 percent represent non-white ethnicity and 3 percent are international students. Miami Valley residents make up17 percent of the class and nearly 30 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. There are 21 valedictorians, 37 captains of two different varsity high school teams and three new Wittenberg Tigers have been captains of three varsity teams.

There are Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, seasoned travelers, church youth group leaders, yearbook editors, award-winning musicians, spelling bee champs, a grand-champion equestrienne, a certified scuba diver, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a hot air balloonist among the entering new student class at Wittenberg.

One student was so excited about the prospect of attending, she gave the dean of admission a memorable e-mail address so that he could notify her about the status of her application. Paying tribute to the famous Wittenberg Tiger mascot, her e-mail address is PerfectTygersEye. Needless to say, she was one of those moving her "stuff" in as well.