The recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe has hit home for Benedictine College located in Atchison, Kansas.
The small private college of around 2,000 students routinely sees around 50 students participate in a semester long study aboard program in Florence, Italy. For some however, this semester has been cut short.
Director Daniel Musso is in charge of the program and says the college has been in contact with the group, giving them the option of staying or coming back.
“Fourteen of 52 students are returning home,” Musso said.
Musso added the flexibility is in response to what the CDC and what other colleges in Italy are doing. He added families visiting for spring break are still going.
The program is also run in the summer and as of now, that trip is still on. However, students for this summer are being told to wait to buy plane tickets.
BC students in Italy are not under any type of quarantine at this point.
“Students are allowed to walk around the towns they are in,” Musso said. “The situation looks different from in the States. People over there are still living everyday lives.”
