Following Earthquake, U.S. Universities and Families Scramble to Secure Students on Study Abroad Programs in Chile
U.S. universities and families with students studying abroad in Chile were disconnected from their students following a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake, which leveled buildings and highways, killing over 700 people on February 27. The earthquake is believed to be one of the most powerful earthquakes in the world in the last century. Parents and university officials are now setting about the difficult task of securing and making contact with students in Chile, a task made difficult with Chile left in what its president has declared as a "state of catastrophe." Among the universities affected, the University of Colorado (Boulder), Syracuse University, Oklahoma University , University of Wisconsin (Madison), University of South Carolina, Elon University, and University of Tennessee, have each reported on their efforts to secure their students, as has the International Studies Abroad organization. According to Education Abroad Director Jack Hobson at Oklahoma University, “[c]ommunication infrastructure in Chile has been overwhelmed with people checking in on loved ones." On the other side of the spectrum, Chilean students studying in U.S. Schools, such as St. Cloud State University, have also had difficulty getting in touch with their families in Chile.
