As another fall semester kicked off at the University of Arizona, students gathered for back-to-school events, hung out in common areas on campus and attended classes in person. These standard, start-of-year activities had not been available to many since fall 2019, due to COVID-19.
With the availability of vaccines and a host of public health and safety measures in place, campus came alive in the days leading up to Aug. 23, when most students began their classes.
Several COVID-19 mitigation efforts remain in place at UArizona, including a requirement that face coverings be worn in indoor areas where physical distance cannot be maintained. University leaders have urged all members of the university community to get vaccinated and to test regularly for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status.
In the gallery above, check out scenes from the early days of the fall semester in images captured by University of Arizona photographer Chris Richards.