BOULDER, Colo. -- Starting college is supposed to be an exciting rite of passage.
“Definitely excited, a little bit nervous but excited mostly,” CU freshman Kristin Adams said.
Clearly it's different this year, starting with the COVID-19 tests students have to take before moving in.
“It is what it is, you know? I understand why but it’s not the most comfortable thing,” freshman Finn Baker said.
And for some students, they know more than most why it's so important.
“I’ve already had COVID-19,” Adams said.
And these young adults know the need for precautions.
“I mean, I think you’re already not too sure if you get it again yet or what’s going on with that, so you never know. I’m still trying to be careful but I think Boulder itself has done a really good job,” Adams added.
“It’s a little upsetting to not be able to see people truly face-to-face but I am glad that everyone is taking precautions,” freshman Jade Halanych said.
Masks, spaced out times, cohort groups and more than half of classes fully remote.
“We think that our spacing on campus will be good and our classrooms are set up to encourage social distancing while they’re in the classroom. We have a process in place. We are on contact tracing here on campus and we have a whole policy about the set up, so anytime we do get notification that we can track down and try to limit the spread as quickly as possible,” CU Spokesperson Scott Pribble said.
But a small group of university staff are taking the move-in opportunity to move their message of concern to students.
“For example discussions are being done in person for students six feet apart and in masks. That is not conducive to good classroom experience and is not safer,” CU philosophy lecturer Alex Wolf-Root said.
But a lot of it will be left to these kids on their own to stay safe.
“He’s actually really good. Oh yeah, more strict than them probably. We all wore masks but he is more diligent and I would say the average kid his age, thankfully,” freshman parent Michele Baker said.
The school hopes that is the case.
