Study abroad to London will continue as planned despite terror threat

Addie Gall

Editor’s note: A previous version of the article misidentified the instructor of the study abroad course and mistakenly stated the recipient of an email sent out regarding the program’s plans. 

Plans for Kent State’s Global Advertising and Public Relations course to travel to London over spring break will continue as scheduled despite the recent terror attack in London on Wednesday.

In the attack, a man killed four people and injured others outside the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament.

Stephanie Smith, director of global initiatives for the College of Communication and Information (CCI), released a statement via email to The Kent Stater, saying student safety is always a primary concern of the college and “Kent State’s policy is that overseas travel is cancelled only if the State Department issues a travel warning for the destination.”

Students leave Thursday since there are no travel warnings issued for London or the UK. The class, taught by JMC associate professors Stefanie Moore and Evan Bailey, will return on April 1.

Despite the State Department’s decision not to issue a travel warning, some students are still concerned.

“I’m not as nervous as I was at first, but because it’s the day before we leave, I am a little nervous still,”  said Amy Kessler, a senior public relations major.

While abroad, students will compare millennials in the advertising and public relations workplace in the United States to those in London. In the first part of the course, students did research on millennials in the American workplace.

While in London, students will interview people to compare and contrast across cultures.

Shane Beneke, a senior public relations major, said he is looking forward to getting to know the culture and learning more about what it is like to work in public relations as a millennial in London.

Students also look forward to experiencing a different culture.

“I’m excited to see a different culture and all the sights I’ve heard about, like the London Eye and Big Ben,” Kessler said.

The Office of Global Education will continue to work with CCI to keep students safe during their study abroad.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will reassess if the State Department issues a warning,” Smith wrote in the statement.

Addie Gall is the social sciences reporter, contact her at [email protected].