With the current earthquake aftermath crisis in Chile and CU students studying abroad there, questions may be raised about the safety of students traveling internationally.
CU officials say they don’t believe the situation in Chile will affect the study-abroad program. For the most part, students agree.
When an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile early this morning, six CU students were sleeping in various towns while a seventh student was preparing for a flight to take her into the South American country, said Larry Bell, director of the office of international education at CU’s study-abroad program.
All six CU students are safe and have now have now been accounted for. The seventh student, who was planning on flying into the country today, is now remaining in Colorado, Bell said.
According to Nathan Frank, CU adviser for the Office of International Education, there are 260 to 300 study-abroad programs available to CU students. This year over 1,000 students enrolled in these programs, totaling 25 percent of the undergraduate population. Nationally 2 to 5 percent of undergraduates study abroad, Frank said.
Stephanie Davis, a CU student and multimedia editor for the CU Independent who went to Bali last semester through the study-abroad program, said she would not hesitate to take part again, despite natural disasters.
Although Davis experienced three earthquakes during her stay, they were nothing compared to the magnitude of the earthquake in Chile. When asked about the students there, Davis said she was worried for their well-being.
“Hopefully they’re safe,” Davis said.
Other students from different programs have said they feel the same way.
Marissa Pilger, a 20-year-old psychology major at Williams College, said that there is always a risk studying abroad.
“No matter where you go, there’s always some kind of danger,” Pilger said.
Pilger, who participated in a study-abroad program last semester, is no novice when it comes to earthquakes. While working in Bali, Pilger said the area experienced three earthquakes, but only one actually reached the island itself during her stay.
This didn’t hamper Pilger’s spirits toward the trip, however.
“It was awesome,” Pilger said of the trip.
When asked if the earthquake in Chile would affect her decision to participate in the study-abroad program again, she said she didn’t think so.
Addressing possible safety concerns, Bell said students were always briefed coming into the CU program about safety issues and concerns.
“We have an orientation before students go,” Bell said, where the students and their parents are educated about the overall program as well as their specific country through training and written material.
That orientation is then repeated at the start of their program, he said.
“Once they are in the country, in all cases, students are given an orientation when they arrive,” Bell said.
Jack Herdy-Kelly is a sophomore at Centaurus High School who is writing for the CU Independent as part of a high school journalism workshop the CU Independent hosted on Feb. 26 and 27.
Contact CU Independent Deadline News Editor Emily Zarka on behalf of Jack Herdy-Kelly at Emily.zarka@colorado.edu
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