Thursday, September 20, 2007
Nick Lush leaned over a table on the Stauffer-Flint lawn and signed a Hillel petition that would make it easier for University of Kansas students to study abroad in Israel.
Stephanie Hamby, Lawrence KU graduate of the class of 1999, dances while balancing a sword on her head Wednesday afternoon in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall. She danced to promote the petition to allow Israel to be a study abroad destination. She has been dancing since 2001 for the Raghisidad Troupe and said she usually dances in groups. Adam MacDonald/KANSAN
The Israel study abroad program was suspended in 2000 when a travel warning was issued by the U.S. Department of State. The University has a policy not to send students to countries with travel warnings because of liability.
Hillel proposed a compromise that would create an affiliation with the University of Texas. Under the compromise, KU students could study abroad through the University of Texas, which has a program in Israel, while remaining enrolled at the University.
Zac Pollack, Overland Park sophomore, Hillel member and organizer of the petition said if the petition worked out then the Office of Study Abroad would help students study abroad rather than saying “no.” He said 40 students signed the petition.
Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, director at the Office of Study Abroad, said students came in every year and asked to go to Israel. She said the decision was made by individual universities, and the University would reinstate the program when it comes off the travel advisory list.
Lush, Sacramento, Calif., senior, said he studied abroad in Florence two semesters ago, but his first choice was Israel. He said all the countries on the list should be looked at objectively, rather than discontinuing the program just because it made the list.
“Just because one thing has happened at any time in its history doesn’t mean that country should be permanently barred from having people go there,” Lush said. “America is a sworn ally of Israel and sworn to defend the country its kind of ridiculous that we wouldn’t offer students here the ability to go.”
Rachel Goldberg, St. Louis sophomore and Grinspoon intern for Hillel, said she knew students who studied abroad in Israel who disenrolled from the University to do so.
“It’s quite a tedious process. They are going and they are safe. There’s no reason why KU shouldn’t put it on their list.”
Gronbeck-Tedesco said any policy changes were up to the Provost Richard Lariviere, who couldn’t be reached for comment. She said the University did accept transfer credit for students who went around the policy to study abroad in Israel.
— Edited by Meghan Murphy
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Comments
Petition supports Israel program
There are hundreds of public schools that allow students to study in Israel. Why can't KU be one of those universities instead of lagging behind and being one of the few who prevents students from traveling there? Over a hundred students on the campus already travel to Israel with programs like Birthright and others. KU should continue with the trend and demand of the students to study academically in Israel like their peers at other Universities.
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