Claire Oliver
Arts/ent/ops editor

Students have decided that some experiences are worth the financial strain.
Despite the pressure added by the economic crisis, participation in Linfield’s International programs are still going strong.
Because the first round of study abroad applications was submitted in October, before the brunt of the economic crisis manifested itself, IPO administrators said they expected feedback and concerns to come in as the year progressed.
“I thought we might have seen an impact, that some students would have rescinded offers,” Shaik Ismail, director of International Programs, said.
The reality, in fact, has produced more positive results.
“There has been no impact at all,” he said. “We’ve had an actual increase in participants.”
Whereas in the 2008-2009 school year 83 students participated in semester- or year-long programs, the 2009-2010 school year will send 101 students abroad. Similarly, at the time of this interview, Ismail expected between 160 and 180 students to participate in January Term trips in 2010, a number consistent with that of 2009.
Ismail said he attributes these numbers, some of the highest in recent years, not only to the strength of the programs offered through Linfield’s IPO, but to the desire of students to try new and exotic things.
Although costs for semester abroad programs are comparable to a semester spent on campus, program fees vary based on location; the farther away they are, the more expensive they will be.
Presently, Linfield’s programs in Vienna, Austria and the Galapagos Islands are the most expensive. Participants, however, remain undeterred.
“Students tend to vote with their feet,” he said. “They are attracted to
locations regardless of costs. They want to experience something new and exciting they might not do on their own.”
Students planning to participate in study abroad programs next year agreed and said the economy did not change their minds about what they consider an important life experience.
“This is something that I’ve been looking forward to and planning on for quite a while now,” sophomore Amanda Rinehart, a participant in next year’s England program, said. “I figure that this is something really important to me, so I’ll figure out a way to make it work, even if that means working multiple jobs this summer.”
January Term participants said they felt similarly.
“The economy was actually the last thing I worried about when applying,” Bryce Madison, a junior who will take part in next January’s British Mass Media trip, said.
The priority of international programs has been determined not only by students, but by administrators, as well.
Ismail said the college itself is largely responsible for making the maintenance of international programs a priority. He said that while other colleges have faced both budget and employment cuts, IPO has experienced none of this.
The addition of study abroad locations in Australia and New Zealand attests to this commitment, he said, and can be attributed to strong management within the school’s administration.
While numbers produce a positive outlook, all those involved in study abroad said they recognize the importance of being cautious with financial matters.
“We’re asking students to be a little more careful with discretionary spending and encouraging them to see more of the country they’re in,” Ismail said. “In the past, students have learned that elaborate trips lead to rude awakenings.”
Rinehart and Madison said they expected costs to prevent them from seeing and purchasing all they wanted to while abroad.
As Ismail was quick to point out, however, the fluctuation of exchange rates means that the realities of financial strain have yet to be realized.
In recent months, the global economic downturn has worked in favor of the U.S. dollar, he said, and may work favorably for students, as well.
The state of the economy may abbreviate some travel experiences, but Ismail said it should not prevent students from making the most of their time abroad.
“Take advantage of what’s around you,” he said. “Learning can take place in your own backyard.”