Every year, about forty percent of the junior class participates in study abroad programs. Students who are interested in studying abroad in the upcoming fall need to declare their intention by March 15th.
"We won't have the exact number of students leaving next year until after April. But so far, my guess is that the global tension does not affect the program in a negative way," said Study Abroad Advisor William Hoffa. "Appointments and meetings for discussion of studying abroad are still plenty. If students are really concerned, then there would not be as many appointments and meetings with me. The global situation is still uncertain and nobody knows what the outcome will be ... no evidence shows that students are really concerned."
Kate Sullivan, a junior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who is currently studying in Toulouse, France, said she sometimes feels uncomfortable as a result of her status as an American citizen.
"For example, while walking down the sidewalks of Paris, an Iraqian immigrant who is now a French citizen stopped our American group and gave us a half hour lecture about why Bush was terrible," said Sullivan. "We have been told to say that we are 'canadienne' when asked, and I took the american flag pin I have off my bag," she said.
Sullivan said that there is definitely some anti-American sentiment in Toulouse. "It seems as though the French are very against what Bush is doing, and some people get quite offended when they find out that I'm an American," she said. "Personally, I do not feel threatened or endangered at all, but you can never be too certain."
"As far as we know, individual American students face no particular danger because, to my knowledge as a newspaper reader, there is no example of a students being harmed the way Daniel Pearl was harmed in Pakistan. But, I recognize that students and their parents will be fearful," said President Tom Gerety.
Eliot Hellman '04 studied in Greece last semester. He had planned to go to Israel but decided not to because of the developing potentially dangerous situation. Hellman said he did not experience any anti-U.S. sentiment directed at him.
Kennon Kay '05 plans to go to Mexico in the fall. She said that she would not change her mind even the global situation worsens.
"The current global tension is certainly in the back of my mind when thinking about studying abroad, but it has not affected my decision to be in Central America in the fall," said Kay.
According to Hoffa, about 25 percent of those students who express interests in going abroad change their mind every year. Hoffa does not expect that percentage to rise this year.
Currently, there aren't any students studying in the Middle East, but the programs in Israel are still on the approved list.