BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Thousands of students at Indiana University made the trek across campus for the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 22.
Student Body President Kyle Seibert said this back-to-school season will spark an exciting year for the Hoosiers. It's the third start to the school year during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Seibert is expecting more normalcy this year.
When it comes to student safety on campus, Seibert said it is a priority for Indiana University Student Government.
"One project that IUSG is working on this year is called 'The Red Zone Initiative,'" Seibert said. "The Red Zone is this period from August to November where students are most likely to face issues around sexual assault."
According to Seibert, IUSG will work to connect IU students to those resources on campus to ensure they feel safe and their voices are heard.
As students filled classrooms Monday morning, Seibert also offered advice for new students.
"For freshmen, I would say get involved as early as you can," Seibert said. "Go to the involvement fair. That's Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Dunn Meadow. For families at home, I would just say make sure you are checking in on your students, but also give them some space as they grow into this new environment."
Seibert, who is a junior at IU studying policy analysis, is looking forward to the potential growth on campus this year.
"I'm most excited to meet the team that we've assembled to work on all the cool projects," Seibert said.