SAS and other study abroad programs canceled

Students asked to come home due to coronavirus

Mikaela Foehr / News Editor / The USD Vista

Junior Kayla Cayanan started her semester at John Cabot University in Rome with 25 students in each of her classes. Now, due to the rapid spread and fear of coronavirus strain COVID-19 in Italy, seats in class have become increasingly empty and attendance has dropped to about five students per class.

According to the New York Times(NYT), at the time of print, Italy had 10,149 cases of COVID-19, the second largest outbreak behind China. Considering the fast-paced nature of the spread, Italy has elected to close all schools, from elementary to university, at least until March 15, according to NYT. The Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte,  issued an “I Stay Home” decree on March 9, effectively placing the entire nation under lockdown.

In response to the school closures, movement restrictions, and the severe outbreak, some American universities, including the University of San Diego, are choosing to bring their students home from abroad. According to Lissette Martinez, the Senior Director of Media Communications for the university, USD has been monitoring the Center of Disease Control’s (CDC) travel guidelines and decided to ask students to come home from areas where CDC travel warnings were at a level three travel health notice.  

“USD had students studying in Italy and last week we requested they return home as soon as possible for their safety and well-being,” Martinez said. 

Although unfortunate, Martinez stated that the students will be able to continue their international studies through online coursework. However, communicating this information to students proved difficult.

Initially, students in Italy were told that it was mandatory for them to leave Italy and return home, but another email later that day stated that the choice to come home or not was placed on the students.

Cayanan was determined to get the most out of her semester, despite the severe outbreak in Italy and the widespread fear that came with it. 

“I think personally, I wasn’t too worried but I know that it affected a lot of other students,” Cayanan said. “I think it kind of created a mass hysteria within the campus. The unknown was scaring a lot of people.”

Cayanan has a unique perspective on the COVID-19 virus, largely because of the pre-med classes she has been taking.

“I just happen to be a little bit more informed on the background of coronavirus, and the symptoms and how to prevent it and the fact that the seasonal flu happens to impact more people,” Cayanan said. “But for other students or other people who might not know these things, I can see how it might be a lot scarier for them.”

After receiving USD’s recommendation to return home, Cayanan deliberated for a week over whether to leave Italy. On March 11, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 30-day travel ban from Europe to the United States over the growing fears about coronavirus. Due to this, Cayanan will be returning to the United States on March 12 before the ban takes effect on Friday at midnight. 

On the other side of the world, USD students on Semester at Sea (SAS) have also had their experiences affected by the COVID-19 virus. The Spring 2020 Semester at Sea route was intended to port in a number of Southeast Asian countries, but that plan has since been abandoned. This semester’s SAS class will now end their voyage in South Africa and have to make their way home from there. This change in plans came after many route alterations throughout their short trip. After a stop in Vietnam, the ship had to stay at sea for two weeks. This was in response to a cancellation of ports in Malaysia, India, and the Seychelles.

Lexi Crea, a junior student on the ship, is disappointed in the experience, but maintains that it was beneficial to see the four countries they did visit.

“This is such a sad abroad experience,” Crea said. “I’m so happy I got to a few countries, but everyone just feels like we got so much taken from us.”

Crea also emphasized that the effects of COVID-19 are serious, and that people should both take the threat of it seriously and be thankful for personal health.

“Overall, it has taught me a lot about being flexible, and being very grateful for my health,” Crea said. 

Anna Nguyen, another junior on Semester at Sea, shared Crea’s thoughts on the difficulties of the journey, but emphasized the impact that misinformation can have on people. 

“In Vietnam, the Chinese students were denied entry despite not being in China during the time of the outbreak, and this would have been true in India and Malaysia too,” Nguyen said.  “They were on the ship for one month during this time and some students blamed China and, indirectly, the Chinese students for the rerouting of the ship.”

Nguyen, as a leader of the Asian, Asian-American, and Allies club on the ship, helped to put on an informative talk about COVID-19 and its xenophobic implications, which eased some fears aboard the ship. Nguyen has also been disappointed with the communication from USD administrators to the Semester at Sea students.

“I wish USD reached out to us more, because we’ve had little to no contact with (administrators) without being the first to initiate conversation,” Nguyen said. “It’s kind of crazy how much it feels like we are on our own sometimes.”

Prematurely ending study abroad experiences comes with significant financial costs and difficult travel logistics for the students and their families. According to Crea, some SAS students hope to be compensated in some way, either for the expensive flights home from South Africa, or for the severely shortened abroad experience. 

According to recent email updates, the USD administration is monitoring the evolving situation closely and has designated various members of the campus staff to be part of a COVID-19 Action Team, as well as creating a website dedicated to keeping campus members updated on the outbreak.

The International Center also sent an email extending the study abroad application deadline to April 1 in light of the outbreak. The office also recommends students who are considering going abroad to register for Fall 2020 classes at USD, along with submitting the application.

Deaths resulting from COVID-19, at the time of print, have remained concentrated in demographics with weaker immune systems, largely among the elderly. While this may be the case, the CDC recommends that everyone, regardless of age or location, take the spread seriously and continue to take necessary precautions. These precautions include refraining from traveling to countries with serious outbreaks, staying home and out of contact with people if flu symptoms arise, and being extremely conscious of hand washing and all other traditional flu preventatives. 

If students have further questions about COVID-19 or believe that they may  be exhibiting symptoms of the virus, they are encouraged to contact the Student Health Center at (619) 260-4595. Students can also go to USD’s COVID-19 website for updated campus information, procedures, and policies in respect to the virus.