Students support new UofSC campus safety measures as new semester begins

Students are required to wear masks and socially distance whenever possible

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)  — The University of South Carolina had its first day of classes Thursday, but it had a different feeling than most starts to a school year.

With the semester starting in the midst of the pandemic, thousands of students were back on campus, all while wearing masks.

The sun was glistening over the shoulders of hundreds of students crossing the Horseshoe, marking the start of a new semester at the University of South Carolina.

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic lingering, not even masks could muffle the excitement some students have as they start a new school year.

“I think it’s going to be a good year, despite everything,” said Caroline Hoffman, a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

Several students told ABC Columbia they are eager to be back on campus, and not having to be in front of a screen like they were towards the end of the spring.

“You know it’s so much better than just being at home, taking classes online,” said Samone’ Howard, a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

Some students are back in Columbia for the first time since the university closed down campus back in March.

With other colleges reverting back to online classes as a result of outbreaks, the University of South Carolina’s President Bob Caslen says the fate of the school year falls in the hands of his students.

“Our plan is thorough but it is also nimble. We will not hesitate to go fully online as we did last March if student behavior does not match my confidence in them,” Caslen said.

Some students feel the University has gone above and beyond to keep students safe.

“They gave us like three masks on the first day here, and I feel they’ve done everything they can,” Howard said.

Caslon said his team has installed cameras at points on campus to make sure students are adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing. There is also a testing station on campus where thousands of students can take a saliva-based test per day.

“I think they’ve made it work really well that we feel safe in this whole environment,” said David Okereke, a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

Some freshmen, like Haydn Sondgeroth, say the freshman experience is a little different than what they expected coming in, but they praise the university and its community for making them feel welcome.

“Everyone’s been doing really good about making sure we are keeping our distance and wearing our masks when we’re supposed to, but I’m hoping and I’m sure they’re going to make it as normal an experience as possible,” Sondgeroth said.

According to the University of South Carolina’s COVID-19 tracker, there were 26 active cases (19 students, 7 staff members) of the virus on campus as of last Friday. The university says only 2.4% of the isolation dorm is currently occupied.