The first experience new Coastal Carolina University students have after Orientation is also one of the most telling about the culture and community of Teal Nation: ChantiCREW.

ChantiCREW is a volunteer program administered by University Housing during Move-in Day each fall semester. As many as 700 faculty, staff and students are encouraged to volunteer their time in a four-hour shift to help new students and their families unpack their cars and move into the residence halls.

"Strong participation in this program helps welcome our new students to campus, exemplifies the warm and friendly environment we have here at Coastal Carolina University, and gives you a chance to help support your fellow Chants and be an active part of our community," said Willette Capers, assistant director for University Place.

The service has been provided in some form at CCU for years, in its current form since 2013, according to Capers, and the Housing team has it down to a science.

After families check in at the Williams-Brice building to receive their room keys and campus maps, they drive over to their residence hall, where they are met by dozens of volunteers who quickly unload their car(s) into large, wheeled bins. The volunteers then accompany the student up to their room and help them unload the bins while the families move the car(s) to a parking area to keep traffic flowing.

"Parents are always excited about the help they get from the ChantiCREW volunteers," Capers said. "They are usually surprised at how quickly the team is able to get the items in their students' space, being that it probably took forever to get the items in the car."

Once the bins are unloaded in the student's space, the volunteers take the bins down and do it all over again.

They work in shifts of around four hours, and the volunteer staff is comprised of current students, staff and faculty members who want to help and get involved.

"Serving on the ChantiCREW is a great way to interact with students," said Lauren Koonce, associate director of scheduling and space management, who volunteered for the first time last year. "It was amazing! It was great to not only meet the freshmen and their families but the other students who volunteer in ChantiCREW."

University Housing accommodates 4,600 students in campus housing, and CCU is welcoming more than 2,000 freshmen to campus this fall. That's a lot of moving in to do, but the volunteers are happy to help.

"I think it's a great way to show the kind of service and community that we offer at CCU," said Koonce. "It's one less thing they parents and freshmen have to do on a busy day for them."

Capers said the entire University Housing team is involved with the move-in process in some aspect.

"No one person can do this job alone, and without everyone doing their part, we would not be able to provide exemplary service to our wonderful students," she said. "While there is a lot of work that goes into organizing and executing ChantiCREW, the smile on our new Chants' faces makes it all worth it."

Move-In Day is one event during CINO TIE weekend leading up to the first day of classes. CINO stands for Coastal Is Number One, and TIE stands for Tradition, Integrity and Excellence.

Other events include a family reception on Friday and New Student Convocation on Sunday. The first day of classes at CCU is Aug. 20.