Seven-day move-in starts with COVID-19 testing

Eric Madenberg didn’t seem phased at all with the COVID-19 testing and move-in process when he arrived at his scheduled time Wednesday, Aug. 19, to start his Binghamton University career.

In fact, the 18-year-old first-year student from Great Neck on Long Island made it through his COVID-19 test, picked up his room key and was back with his parents at the car before heading for his residence hall in less than 49 minutes.

Upon arrival at the Binghamton University Events Center, Madenberg and other incoming students were routed around stanchions, reminding him, he said, of Disney World. “But there’s no ride at the end.”

After being directed to table 4 to check in, it was off to table D, where he was met by a volunteer wrapped in personal protective equipment (PPE), to see if he would pass his COVID test — one that he administered himself, swabbing each nostril for 15 seconds before putting the swab back into its package and handing it off to be analyzed.

Madenberg made it through with just one sneeze. “I didn’t think we would have to do it ourselves,” he said, “but the process seemed organized and safety protocols were in place.”

He then left the building to wait for his results while a runner took his sealed swab and paperwork to yet another area of the Events Center for the analysis. Next, another PPE-clad volunteer dipped Madenberg’s swab into a liquid reagent and let the sample sit for 15 minutes before yet another volunteer placed three drops of the reagent on a stick and plugged the stick into the analyzer. His result: negative for COVID-19.

About 10 minutes later, Madenberg received his results via text from the University’s secure MediCat records system, enabling him to go to his next stop — the West Gym — where he showed his text confirmation of his negative result and was allowed to enter the building to get his room key.

Within minutes, he had rejoined his parents, Jill and Doug Madenberg, before they headed off to Mountainview where he loaded his belongings into a laundry cart and moved them into his Windham Hall room.

It’s not just the students who are having an unusual experience moving in. The experience for parents is different during a pandemic as well, said the Madenbergs.

“This is our second, so it’s much different and in a way it’s sad,” Doug said. “But we’re really happy that there is a physical place for him to be.”

“I’m thankful New York is New York and we’re safe as a state, but we all have to be cautious,” Jill said. “I have mixed emotions recognizing this milestone that is so enormous and not ‘the dream.’”

Eric Madenberg, who will play in the outfield for the Bearcats baseball team, was one of about 800 students who arrived to the campus the first day of a seven-day move-in plan — most of them student-athletes and resident assistants (RAs). “Being a new student, I don’t have much to base this experience off of,” he said, “but we’ve had plenty of team Zoom meetings and we’re trying to get back to playing as soon as possible.”

The team will begin returning to the field in phases, he said. “First, we’ll have practice in small groups, wearing masks. And our physicals have been pushed back until later in September.”

But he’s ready to play baseball at Binghamton, which he said is “hands down the best program and environment” of the schools he was considering.

He’s also looking forward to getting settled in on campus. “I’ve gotten plenty of emails about socially distanced activities and a Zoom meeting on all of the rules,” he said. “They’ve been reaching out.

“I have one class that is in person full-time,” Madenberg added. “I’m excited to get more of the traditional college experience, getting to do whatever baseball we can do and getting to know the guys on the team.”