by Marc LaPointe

   According to the Office of International Studies (OIS), fewer students are expected to travel abroad next semester due to heightened fears of terrorism and anti-American hostilities around the world.

   “It’s still early to tell, but we do think that there will be less students abroad next spring than last year’s all-time high,” said Gail Winters, Director of the OIS.

   Already this year, the OIS has been forced to cancel its programs in Israel and Indonesia, and to relocate its program in India due to safety concerns in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the ongoing war against terrorism.

   The OIC has closely monitered Federal Bureau of Investigation warnings about international travel and potential threats to the safety of American citizens abroad.

   “We’re on the list to receive all new information and respond in whatever way seems appropriate to the particular announcement or warning,” Winters said.

   An October 11 FBI press release warned of imminent terrorist attacks, “within the United States and against U.S. interests overseas.” Attorney General John Ashcroft has also urged American citizens to take special precautions both domestically and abroad.

   Communication with parents of University students has also been a top priority for the OIC. The office has received calls from concerned parents who have called to express concern for the safety of their sons and daughters currently abroad and those who plan to travel next semester and next year.

   “We have received less calls than we expected,” Winters said. “I think Wesleyan students are doing a good job of communicating with their parents themselves. We have talked with some parents at length, and for the most part it is clear that everyone is trying to balance a desire to continue to have Wesleyan students out in the world with increased anxiety and a desire to remain physically close to loved ones.”

   Responses from some students currently abroad are posted on the OIC website in an effort on the part of the OIC to ease the anxiety of parents of the students and to maintain a dialog about the world situation.

   Kait Yulman ’04 sees this as a positive move on the part of the University, and sees communication as a key to putting the safety of students abroad in its proper perspective.

   “I think that the tendency is for people to panic in a situation such as that in which we find ourselves today,” Yulman said. “But there really is no way to guarantee that traveling abroad is ever safe, so for people to change their academic plans and goals because of some non-palpable fears is absurd. As long as people remain rational and smart, things can expect to run as smoothly as possible.”

   Mira Baylson ’04, who plans on going abroad next year, says her fears of going abroad depend completely on where she’s going.

   “If I were going to the Middle East, like Israel or somewhere then yes, I would definitely have some fears about my safety,” Baylson said. “But if I were going to Europe or South America or the Far East, I wouldn’t really have any more anxiety than if I had gone a few years ago. You’re always going to run into some anti-American hostilities if you go abroad, and although those might be heightened these days it wouldn’t discourage me from doing what I want to do.”

   Despite the cancellations and other challenges that Winters and the OIC face during the current war, they reflect similar sentiments about travel abroad.

   “We are monitoring the situation very carefully, consulting with our colleagues, suggesting that students discuss their plans carefully with their parents,” Winters said. “But of course we hope that we will be able to continue to support Wesleyan students going abroad as always.”