RADFORD, Va. – One of Southwest Virginia’s most notable college cities is filling up once again.
Radford University students started moving back to campus Saturday morning, as the university prepares for in-person classes.
School resumes August 12, but the university spread out the on-campus move-in schedule across the first two weeks of the month for social distancing reasons.
Many Radford students such as Emily Godwin had been away from campus since March due to remote learning. Godwin, a sophomore at the university, said she could not wait to return.
“It just feels like home to me. I love it here,” Godwin said. “I haven’t seen any of my school friends in forever and I get to see a lot of them today.”
Radford made other alterations to protect students and staff against COVID-19, including moving large classes online and preventing movers from sharing equipment.
Tom Santa, the parent of a Radford sophomore, said he believes his daughter will be safe on campus.
“I think Radford is doing all of the right steps,” Santa said. “The university goes above and beyond in making sure everyone is taken care of. I hope everyone here has the greatest semester ever, because they deserve it.”
Godwin is also optimistic about avoiding COVID-19. She believes she’s better protected here than her hometown because she trusts her fellow students to take preventative measures.
“In my home county, Carroll County, we have a population of 6,000 people and have about 300 cases,” Godwin said. “If I can make it there and not be sick, I can definitely be okay here.”