10A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 11, 2002
Students. study
abroad despite±9
terrorist threats
SIX MONTHS LATER
By Daniel Kim
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA senior Caroline Gu had bought
her plane tickets and found a place to
live for a study abroad program in
South Korea for the fall semester when
she decided not to go. The tragedy of
Sept. 11 threw Gu and the rest of the
United States into a state of confusion
and uncertainty, and Gu said she
decided she'd better stay.
Other students, including LSA senior
Andrew Knepley, were in their host
countries when the terrorist attacks
occurred. Despite the initial shock,
confusion and concern over safety,
Knepley said the possibility of return-
ing home early from his program in
Florence, Italy, never crossed his mind.
"There was comfort. We had lots of
discussions in the villa where the pro-
gram was. Everybody was together and
there was much effort to know, exam-
ine and deal with (Sept. 11)," Knepley
said.
"There was a lot of sympathy from
the Italian people. The mayor of the
town came to the villa to express sym-
pathy. It seemed like a warm communi-
ty," Knepley added.
Jordan Pollock, assistant director of
the Office of International Programs,
said Sept. 11 has resulted in an increase
in student interest in study abroad pro-
grams as reflected in the number of
participants for this winter semester.
More than 200 students are studying
abroad this winter semester on Univer-
sity programs, 20 more than last year's
194 participants.
OIP, which sends students to more
than 70 countries, has not canceled any
of its programs since Sept. 11.
"Students are trying to make sense of
what happened in September partly
through study abroad," Pollack said.
He added that many students now
realize "that the world cannot be
ignored. It's an interconnected world
about which we have to become more
sensitive ... and (study abroad) is an
experience that gives students an
opportunity to acquire skills they need
to effectively deal with that world."
LSA academic advisor Leslie Davis
advised students who are planning to
study abroad to be extra sensitive, espe-
cially to any anti-American sentiment.
"Now more than ever, we have to
think of ourselves as representatives of
our country," Davis said.
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CONFERENCE-
Continued from Page 1A
just advocate (ideas)," Nodel said. The
event found support from different Uni-
versity groups, including the Frankel
Center, the department of Women's stud-
ies and Hillel.
"It's not a pro-Israel conference. It's
an Israel conference," LSA junior and
conference planner Eric Buckstein said.
"The best of the best were brought in.
there's a lot of rhetoric out there. We 1
want to present an academic look (at the
issues)." Buckstein said committee plan-
ners were careful in inviting speakers.1
They wanted people with "appropriate ;
credentials." All but three speakers, held
master degrees.]
r ntv mustauionDVyu anny m uow VIUIUt f pt i'. U U sta n awU ire pnotUs
"The speakers represent a diverse GRANHOLM
range of opinions, not just one angle,"
Nodel said. "l t unk we an achieve 'doritind i ror Page 1A ^
a balance;' Conference planners invited choice, cited her proposals for
speakers representing different views on improving education and reducing
the issues surrounding Israel and the crime as an example of outside the
Middle East in an attempt to appeal to box thinking.
different groups. "There is a direct Granholm proposed better treat.
appeal to Arab groups. Both sides are ment of the mentally ill. She said
represented," Nodel said. many of these people belong in hos-
"People are going to disagree," Buck- pitals rather than jails, in which
stein said. "It's not cut and dry. No one they have been incarcerated for
knows the right answers." committing crimes as a result of
With large Arab and Jewish student their untreated illnesses.
populations, the planning committee felt "Every one of those people in
the University would provide a good prison was once a child and you
audience, Buckstein said. "Demograph- wonder if they would have been
ics dictate this is the place. Tensions are there if we had taken care of the
high," he said. problem on the front-end," she said.
She also said a bigger focus on
parenting in the early stages of
childhood development is tanta-
mount to improving education in
Michigan.
She said she does not, however,
SF see charter schools or vouchers as
possible solutions.
"The public school system should
be the public school system," she
said. "People should not be making
a profit on public education."
The attorney general also lam
basted the Republican Party in
Michigan, which now controls the
governor's office and the Legisla-
ture. A state law passed in 2000
requires residents to vote according
to their place of residence as print-
ed on their driver's license, requir-
ing University students to declare
Ann Arbor as their place of resi-
dence in order to vote.
"This government has systemati-
cally set up programs and proposals
to cut people out of the political
process," she said.
"There are more Democrats in the
state. They know that and they want
to limit your franchise and thus stay
in control."
ling abroad, that is. Granholm also said sheocurrently
supports the phase-out out of the
ks cost more than that. contiki state's single business tax and a.
om and you can do it with people lowering of the state income tax cit-
ing a need to maintain a favorable
what are you waiting for?!??!!! business climate in Michigan.
"I thought she was a very intelli-
gent speaker and what she had to
ind hopping > mediterranean highlights say was very thought out and inspir-
m $969 14 days from $859 ing," said LSA sophomore Mariska
Bardos, who said she is still consid-
getaway > simply Italy ering her candidacy for governor.
>your first time trave
>europe from $55 a day! our textboo
has 100 worldwide trips to choose fr
your own age. with such a great deal
>where >gk
to go: > europeang
it,
Ah I