A group of 17 Meredith College students are studying abroad in London this summer, as part of the College’s long-running Meredith Abroad program.

Study Abroad Director Betty Webb sent the following report to students in the program on June 29.

Email to UK Program Participants:
I am sure that by now you have heard about the discovery at 2:00 AM this morning of a car bomb in central London. We are monitoring the situation closely. The good news is that London has been on high alert since the IRA days and vigilant observers reported the suspicious automobile in time for a crisis to be averted. I suspect that because of the number of surveillance cameras in London, the picture of the person who did this will be on the evening news.

The bad news is that this will inevitably make you feel anxious as you anticipate heading for one of the safest cities in the world. The further bad news is that it reminds us that the world is not safe. I think that for me the bombing of the Oklahoma Court House by US “patriots” was the moment I realized we cannot begin to predict where such problems will occur. So the Meredith Abroad approach is to carry on, ever-vigilant, your faculty helping you learn how to become vigilant travelers yourselves. We cannot guarantee your safety in London or at home. We can guarantee that it is our first priority.

Betty Webb, Ph.D.
Director of Study Abroad

For updates on the program, visit the travel journals section of Meredith’s web site at www.meredith.edu/traveljournals/uk/.